Promises
by SweetDisposition34
Summary: Set during "Showmance." When Will sees Emma sobbing her car, he knows what he wants to do. He knows what he should do. He knows what he has to do. But none of that matters, because he loves her. And as Will breaks one promise, he makes another.
1. Chapter 1

**This just came to me over the last week... it's very random since it takes place during "Showmance" before the back nine. I don't think it's one of my better pieces, but since I love writing some Wemma :) I'll put it up here anyway... Read, review, criticize, the whole nine yards!**

Her little wave through her office door made his heart flutter. He shouldn't be feeling this way, that much was obvious, but he couldn't help it. His hands got clammy, his heart beat faster and faster in his chest, and he was sure he blushed. But he kept it cool- Will only offered Emma a quick wave and a smile. He knew he would fall apart at the seams if he did anything else. He had been walking on eggshells around his best friend for the past week. Because he had been wondering for the last week if that was all Emma was after all- a best friend. He had absolutely no idea anymore, and that frightened him.

Because he knew in his heart of hearts that he wished it was so much more than just friendship. But life has a way of doing that, of giving you the best gifts at the wrong times, of dangling all you ever wanted just in front of your nose but just out of reach. Of tying you down and then letting you see the world go on just fine without you.

And as much as he hated to admit it, it hurt. It hurt to see Ken flirt with Emma. It hurt to see Emma get that far-off, longing look in her eyes and to know that he could never ever fill that void for her.

Because Will was a good man.

And good men loved their wives, no matter how cranky and unreasonable they might be sometimes.

And good men were faithful.

And good men kept promises, promises especially that went along the lines of "for as long as we both shall live."

But good men comforted their best friends.

Were there for their best friends.

Loved them, too.

But Will since last week, Will was unable to do that. He couldn't comfort Emma because whatever she claimed to have had her so upset wasn't the truth. He was the one hurting her and he could do absolutely nothing about it. He couldn't stop causing Emma pain because if he did than Terri would feel the same sort of hurt. And he loved them both. He loved Emma as a friend and Terri as a wife, and it was a very careful balance between the two. But this year the line from "friendship" to "love" was growing finer and finer.

It all started last week...

XXX

It was about five o'clock and the Glee club had just finished their practice. Will was stressed and eager to get home to Terri. The kids had been giving him trouble about their upcoming prep-rally performance of "Le Freak." He knew that the music was a little dated, but everybody loved disco. When he was fifteen, Will had won Nationals with "Le Freak." That same weekend, Terri Delmonico (a junior!) finally agreed to go out on a date with him. So when the same woman announced her pregnancy to him last week, Will immediately thought back to the days when they were just kids.

And the song that made her fall for him in the beginning.

"Everybody loves disco, Rachel," he said, "It's well known. It's accessible. Everyone can relate-"

"If I may, Mr. Schuester, I understand why, in your mind, you might have a positive connotation with 'Le Freak,' considering that William McKinley High won their first National competition with that song. But in my humble opinion, this song is anything but accessible. You may find it very easy for yourself to relate to such music as an adult, since disco was extremely popular in the early nineties, but you have to understand that in today's world there are so many different genres that could better represent the needs of the student bod-"

"That's enough, Rachel," he'd chastised. He was growing more annoyed by the second, and the torrential downpour outside wasn't making his mood any better. "We're doing disco at the pep assembly. End of conversation."

"But-"

"You don't always need to have the last word, Rachel," he said, more gently this time. Even though she could be incredibly irritating at times, Rachel was one of Will's favorite students. He saw underneath her facade of the eager, confident young artist who needed only her talent and saw the frightened, insecure girl underneath. But he needed to prove a point, and he wasn't letting up this time. "You guys should all head home," he gestured outside, "before the rain gets too bad. I'll see you all tomorrow, and try to remember the choreography, kay?"

Everyone agreed and shuffled out of the choir room, most muttering complaints under their breath. Checking his watch, Will realized just how late it was and rushed back to his classroom at the other end of the main hallway to grab his bag and papers that needed grading. As he left the room, he smiled at the sight of Emma, dressed in her usual heels and pencil skirt, dash out into the downpour under the protection of a huge floral umbrella.

_I hope it isn't too muddy out, _he thought to himself, a little worried for his mysophobic friend. He'd always been close with Emma, but lately they had become exceptionally close. Ever since she was nailed with a slushie on the first day of the new school year, Will had looked out for her, and Emma had stuck to him like glue. Wonderful, cheerful, advice-offering glue. She never failed to make him smile.

As Will made his way to the exit, he noticed how the rain had picked up. As he pushed open the doors he could barely see ten feet in front of him. Terri had commandeered the only umbrella they owned that morning when hearing of the bad weather forcast on WOHN, the local news station. He groaned and muttered something under his breath as he felt his favorite brown leather jacket becoming heavy and slick with water. Great.

His feet splashed into puddles in the mad dash to his car, but something made him stop short. There, next to his car as always, was Emma's green Volvo. _Didn't she leave, like, fifteen minutes ago? _He wondered as he got closer and closer to the vehicle. He was about to open his own car door, about to walk away, when something made him stop.

It was the most horrible sound in the world. A muffled sob erupted from inside of Emma's car, and he looked snapped his head around only to see her sobbing into her fist. Will pulled the half of his body that had already made its way into the dry interior of his his own car out again and rushed the two feet over to Emma's passenger door. Through the window he could hear the faint sounds of "All By Myself" blasting through the car stereo, and Emma choking out the lyrics.

He pounded on the door, suddenly wanting nothing more than to wrap Emma in his arms and tell her everything was going to be alright. But when she snapped her gaze up to meet his eyes through the window, black mascara leaving tear tracks down her fair cheeks, he knew that it wasn't going to be alright. He knew who Emma was crying over. And he knew that there was nothing in good conscience that he could do to make it better. Her eyes were huge and glassy, and she had to physically bite her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. A single tear slipped down the contours of her face, and Will wished he was close enough to wipe it away.

But he had caused that tear, hadn't he? It had always been obvious that Emma had feelings for him, but never before had he knew how serious they were.

And never before had he felt the same feelings in return.

"Let me in," he called through the glass, and Emma vehemently shook her head. Even now, she didn't want Will to see her like this. If he just walked away, they could both pretend that it never happened. But if she let him in... if she let him into this car, than she would be letting him into her heart, too. She felt so vulnerable right then, and was about to drive off, when she saw Will's eyes.

And in them was a mirror of her own every single day.

He loved her. Maybe it wasn't a lot. Maybe it was just for the moment, for the second. But something in his longing blue eyes pained her, and she unlocked the car.

When he heard the click, Will immediately pulled the door open and ducked inside. His jeans, completely soaked now, made a squelching noise when his bottom hit the leather interior. He just now realized his muddy shoes and disheveled appearance probably wasn't helping the situation. "Oh, God, Em I'm so sorry... I'm making a total mess..." he shook his head and let out a soft chuckle.

He didn't know why he was laughing.

He didn't know that germs and mud and messes were the farthest thing from Emma's mind.

He didn't know a lot of things.

"I-it's okay," she whispered, resting her forehead on the top of the steering wheel. A sob racked her body, echoing through the now silent car. Will had turned off the music.

"Oh, Emma..."

"No, no, Will, I'm, umm... I'm just fine... y-you really don't have to..." he tilted her gaze up to meet his. His own eyes were beginning to water, as it almost caused him physical pain to hear Emma hurting like this. Needing like this, and him not having anything to give.

And when their eyes locked, that was when another onslaught of tears tore through her. Her cries seemed empty yet so full, and Will pulled her over he middle console and emergency break and into his arms. She stiffened immediately upon coming in such close contact with his body, but as he began to murmur sweet nothings in her ear, she relaxed. She subconsiously buried her face in his slick coat, in the crook between his shoulder and neck. And she cried.

Will rubbed circles on her back, clutching her shaking frame. "Shh, shh... you're alright, you're alright..." he whispered into her hair. She held him tighter, not caring anymore that she was a mess and he was married with a child on the way and she was being an idiot. She was breaking down.

All of her pent-up emotions from the past two years were coming to fruition now, and it was at the worst possible time. She couldn't help it that she loved him.

He couldn't help it that there was nothing he could do.

He made a promise.

But suddenly, that promise felt very far away to Will. Extremely far away, and he felt as though it didn't matter to him at all. The truth was that Will loved Terri. But he wasn't _in_ love with her. And those were two very, very different things. Will was in love with the broken woman he now held tightly in his arms, whispering into her hair that she wasn't all by herself after all.

It was almost twenty minutes later when he realized she'd stopped crying. The sobs subsided to whimpers, and the whimpers came down to a few shuddering gasps. "Will..." she began, but nothing else ever came of her sentence. He pulled her tighter into him, and held her closer. If he grasped her frame any harder, he knew that they would both break. He needed her. She needed him.

His kid needed him, too. But Will wasn't thinking of that. He was only thinking of the truth when he whispered into her hair, "You're not all by yourself, Emma... you'll... you'll always have me, okay? I, umm, I..." he cut himself short.

She shook her head, looking up into his eyes. His nose was even with her lips now, as she was sitting on his lap. "Will, you don't have to do this, you never had to do this..."

"Shh," he said, and he leaned in closer. She felt his warm breath ricochet of her face and she wished that the butterflies in her stomach would never stop fluttering.

He kissed her forehead. He kissed her eyelids. He kissed her nose, and a tear slipped down his cheek. Their eyes locked for a split second as more tears escaped from Emma's huge brown eyes, and he kissed her lips. It was full of angst and longing, years of loving but never knowing it. His fingers locked her her hair, and her hands found residence on his shoulders, gently curved around his neck. She moaned into the kiss as his teeth nibbled mindlessly on her bottom lip, his strong arms pulling her closer and closer to him. Her right hand strayed from his neck and worked up behind his head and into his curls, allowing him better access to her mouth. She felt his moist tongue pushing against her lips, and she opened her mouth instinctively.

Even though she'd never been kissed, this felt right. This felt natural. This was it for her.

Their tongues worked together, not battling but dancing and gently caressing each crook of the other's mouth. She loved the feeling of discovering him as he discovered her, and he began kissing her neck over and over. He sucked a little at her pulse point, getting lost in the moment. Her head tilted back and she moaned as his teeth grazed her throat, her collar bones.

"Will..." she meant for it to sound more forceful, but all she could manage was a whisper as his thumbs grazed her sides, straying ever closer to her breasts. She pulled away quickly. "Will... Will!" she cried suddenly, sitting up straight and adjusting her sweater and hair. This was not supposed to happen. Not now, not like this. Even though it felt so right, they both knew it wasn't. They both knew that as much as they loved each other, they couldn't. And that hurt the most.

"We can't do this, Will," she whispered when their eyes met.

"I know," he said, but made no move to get up or let her go.

"Will?"

"Yeah, Em?" he asked, a million thoughts flooding his mind and a million unshed tears flooding his eyes. His beautiful, beautiful eyes... Eyes that could never be Emma's. She knew that sometimes it was better not to know what you were missing out on. And this... this was one of those times. She was supposed to be a good person. They both were.

"Could, could y-you go now?" it was only a whisper, barely audible, when it left her lips. "I think I need to cry. Alone."

And this time Will understood. Will wanted her so badly. He loved her so much. He needed Emma, and until today he hadn't realized just how much he did. He gulped, swallowing the lump in his throat. He shifted her easily (she was a lightweight) back into the driver's seat, and as he exited the car, he kissed her forehead.

Guilt was supposed to consume him. He was supposed to feel like a horrible husband, which he probably was, and a horrible father, which he hoped he wasn't. But he didn't. He couldn't. Because he had broken that promise to Terri. That ship had sailed. And he just didn't love her anymore. He wished he did, but being with Emma made him wonder if he ever knew what love felt like before today. He didn't think he did.

No, leaving that car felt like the worst. He felt like he was ruining his chance, his opportunity already, and he knew it. But as Will watched her cry silently, not bothering to wipe the tears and just staring into her rearview mirror, he realized something important.

XXX

The next week was horrible. Emma was as uneasy as ever without the reassurance of her best friend, her only ally, Will, by her side. She missed him, but she missed the days when they could at least pretend that they both felt nothing. They couldn't do that anymore, not after what happened in her car.

So when Rachel asked her, "Have you ever loved somebody so much you just want to lock yourself in your room, turn on sad music, and cry?" her eyes widened. And she saw Will outside her office. And he saw her.

And for another second, all she could do was stare. Because the answer was yes. Absolutely yes. She waved to Will, then snapping her gaze away so she didn't have to gauge his reaction. She swallowed, "N-no..."

Rachel looked at her, puzzled, and eventually left the office more confused than before.

Minutes later, so did Emma. But Will was already gone.

XXX

The next day, Emma found a post-it note suck to her door. It was simple, it was yellow with blue pen, with no name signed at the bottom. There was no need for a name, she already knew who it was from.

_Someday_

And in the simple way that there was just the one word, no period at the end to punctuate it, Emma knew one thing. Their story wasn't finished, either.

XXX

The day after leaving the note on Emma's door, Will found one on his own. He smiled.

_I'll wait._

Because just as Will had broken one promise, another one had been made.

**This is my first "T" fic and I've been thinking a little about attempting to write smut for the first time but I'm not positive yet. It would probably be a one shot, so please if you review could you include something about what you thought of the little make-out scene in Emma's car since it's my first time writing anything of the sort. Thanks!**

**-Liv**


	2. Chapter 2

**Alrighty, here's Chapter 2, takes place during the end of "Showmance" and all through "Acafellas." Enjoy! Love! Comment!**

When he put the chalk on her nose, Emma inhaled sharply. She wasn't sure how long they stood there, breath ragged, but she was sure that she needed to go. This wasn't someday. This was... she wasn't even sure what this was. All she knew was that it couldn't happen- not yet. As ready as she was, she knew deep inside that Will hadn't reached that point yet. And as in love as Emma was, she wasn't jumping into an affair either. Will's marriage had been a ticking time-bomb for years now. She knew that whether anyone liked it or not, it would end. It had to end. She would just have to wait until then.

Because Will had promised, hadn't he?

"I have to go."

XXX

Saying yes to Ken had been a whole new can of worms. And, like the date she had reluctantly agreed to, Emma hated worms. She'd never seen herself as the jealous type, but suddenly Emma found herself turning green with envy at the mere mention of anything Terri. Or anything Baby-related.

But today, it had been worse than usual. Her red Mary-Jane T-strap heels clicked idly down the hallway as Emma walked to the teachers lounge to get her morning coffee. She passed the choir room and Will's office, sighing with a small smile. Waiting for someday to come around was a lot harder than she thought it would be. It was then that she heard the chatter coming from inside the lounge...

"We're so excited, Carol, we found the crib online yesterday. It's beautiful, and pretty cheap considering..." It was Will.

"That's wonderful, William," said another voice, that of an older woman. Ms. Carlisle, probably. She had been Will's high school English teacher, and when he entered the teaching force at McKinley six years ago, they'd become close confidantes. "Have you heard anything about the gender yet?"

"No, not yet, but we'd be happy with anything. Terri and I just want a healthy baby, you know? This... this is all I've ever wanted. All _we've_ ever wanted."

And suddenly, Emma forgot all about coffee. She felt like she'd just been slapped across the face, and her stomach clenched with that familiar pang of emerald green envy. She swallowed the growing lump in her throat to no avail, and let a few tears fall silently from her eyes as she dashed back into the safe confines of her office.

Whoever made a guidance office made completely of glass was a blatant idiot, Emma decided for about the millionth time this month. She'd been doing enough crying to rival the Nile lately.

Even though she would never expect Will to admit their "promise" to anyone, she still felt hurt. The words stung, knowing that she wasn't a part of "we" or "all I've ever wanted." As she pumped a soothing drop of Germ-X onto her hands, slathering her palms with the filmy antibacterial, Emma wondered if Someday would ever come at all.

XXX

Will was excited. He had had a rough weekend with Terri, and had been forced to sleep on the sofa Monday night. But today was Tuesday, and Tuesday meant SAT Prep for Emma, which meant that she could stay late and help him clean again. Secretly, he hoped that maybe they could do more than clean, but then he remembered his baby. The crib had arrived Sunday night. When Will had slaved for four hours attempted to piece the thing together (he was many things, a carpenter was not one of them), Terri had berated him for the better part of an hour about being neglected. She said that if he ignored her and neglected her any more, she would miscarry, and it would be his fault. All his fault.

So Will was more excited than ever to see Emma, even if it was just a friendly night as best friends. She said she would wait. Even though that was a lot to ask, and hardly seemed fair to her, Emma said she would wait. And even though his rational side begged him to argue, he couldn't make himself do it. Will loved Emma. He loved her even if he didn't really want to admit to anyone, including himself, yet.

"Emma, hey!" he called, upon seeing her scrub the water fountain with her toothbrush.

"Oh, Will... hi," she said softly, blushing a little as she looked sheepishly down at her toothbrush.

He pulled out the antibacterial wipes he'd bought at Acme on the way to school, thinking of how tempted Emma would be to use the new products. "What do you say? Boy's bathroom? In the Science wing? Nine o'clock?"

"Will..." she said, her face falling. Upon hearing the sadness and emotion that drenched her voice, Will could feel his own happy expression deflate. "What are we doing?"

She looked deep into his eyes, the hurt and pain so obvious. All he wanted to do was gather her up into his arms like he'd done a few weeks ago, and hold her until she never cried another tear, and make her know that everything was alright. Make her okay... make her understand just how hard he was falling for her. But instead, he restrained, kept his hands to himself, and offered the more logical answer. "We're cleaning the bathroom, Emma."

She looked like she'd just been slapped. His words had betrayed his emotions, and in the process, Emma. He saw a teary film enter her eyes and immediately began to talk as fast as he could, rambling words of comfort, "No, n-no, Emma, I didn't mean it like that... that's not all we're doing, Em..." he lowered his voice, "It's more. You know it's more-"

"Exactly, Will," she said, meeting his gaze. The unshed tears were still visible, but her voice was stronger, more sure. "Y-you're married. You're having a baby, Will. We can''t... I-I can't..." she took a deep breath. "And anyway, I... I have a date."

"What?" he whispered, barely audible. "W-with who?" His head cocked to one side, his expression betraying the sadness and hurt in his eyes. He was happy for her, he had to be. Emma was never his to love. Emma was never his to care for. And he was never hers to be with. So that meant that she could see other people too, like he saw Terri, outside of their promise.

"With Ken." He loved the way her accent made Ken's name sound like "Kin" instead. And then it hit him... Emma was going on a date. With Ken. "We're going to Tulip-Palooza, and..." Emma couldn't finish her sentence either. They just stood there, in the middle of the hallway, their eyes boring into those of the other. Time was at a standstill around them, and Emma's bottom lip trembled. Before she could burst into tears and before Will could say anything, Emma Pillsbury walked away.

Out of the crowded hallway, out of his plans. Hopefully not out of his life. Will realized at that moment the magnitude of "someday." He realized then that he had asked far too much of her, that it hadn't been fair at all.

A sticky-note doesn't mean anything. At least it isn't supposed to. _It's just a scrap of paper, Will. Just a post-it. That's all it is... _But to him, Emma's post-it note reply meant the world. And if he dared to face the truth for five seconds, the measly scrap of paper from Emma meant so much more than the dead-weight, gold band that sat around his finger.

XXX

Ken had given up trying to hold Emma's hand an hour ago, when she politely asked him not too. The way he swooned whenever she talked made her uncomfortable, but that discomfort was nothing to the emotions she felt when Ken would roll his eyes whenever she felt the need to sanitize her hands. This was her, and she was showing it to him. _If he couldn't handle it_, she thought, _than he __shouldn't of asked me here. _

The overpowering smell of tulips burned her nostrils, and honestly, Emma just wanted to go home, curl up on her couch, and pretend that tonight never, ever happened. She wished that instead of a pudgy, greasy man clad in short-shorts that there was a loving, fit, curly-haired Spanish teacher at her side. Will. She sighed inwardly to herself, looking at the complex petals of a bright purple flower.

"Like that one?" Ken asked, coming up close behind her. Too close. He smelled like sweat, and Emma scooted away slightly. Ken looked a little hurt, but this was difficult for her, too.

"Yeah," she said, "I... umm, it's lovely."

As Ken turned to go inspect another arrangement, she focused her attention back on the small purple bud. It reminded her, just a little, of herself. Right now the tulip was nothing but a shriveled looking oval, closed off and protected from the rest of the world. With only the potential to be beautiful. But no one stopped to see that, to appreciate that right away. No one could really see past the shy and closed off exterior to the beautiful flower that lurked just underneath those closed petals. People just looked away and moved on to the other, more obviously stunning, bouquets. Only very few people would put the time, effort, and love into making this flower just as lovely. Into helping this little tulip to bloom. Her heart caught in her throat when she thought of it that way- because one thing was very clear.

She needed Will to help her bloom. And no one else was going to try to see past the OCD and Mysophobia to the girl underneath. Her eyes misted at how horribly she felt for walking away from him in the hallway earlier, and she hoped he could forgive her. But maybe he would realize that Someday was a long way away, and it was hardly fair to her.

"So," Ken said, "do you want any flowers to take home? They're letting people buy the bouquets, you know..."

"Yes." She said quickly, "y-yeah. That one," she said, pointing towards the tiny purple tulip that stood alone in a small pot. It hadn't bloomed yet. It was all alone. It was wilting a little and it's short, barely-there stem was drooping. But Emma knew that it could be beautiful.

"You're sure?" Ken asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Emma replied, lifting the pot into her hands and not thinking twice about the bacteria that could be lurking in the soil.

As Ken dropped her off at her door, not really expecting and invitation in, Emma really looked him in the eyes for the first time all night. "Thank you so much, Ken. I, uh, I had a really wonderful time tonight."

And when he called her "Eminem" on the way out, she only flinched a little.

XXX

It had been a week since the tulip festival, and the little purple flower was sitting happily on Emma's desk. She'd spoken to Will the day after her date with Ken, feeling more inclined to wait for him than ever.

"Emma, I'm... I'm so, so sorry," he'd said, tilting her chin up so that she met his gaze. It was after school hours, and they were the only ones around.

"W-why?"

"Because I asked too much of you... I don't expect you to wait around, doing nothing, while I get to go home to a family every day... that's not fair. And I meant what I said, Em, someday there's going to be a time when it's you that I'm coming home to." His eyes had glistened with tears, and Emma felt the urge to hold him tight and never, ever let go.

"Will-"

"Em, I need you to know... I need you to know that I lo-"

"Not today, Will, okay?" she said softly, brushing her fingers through the curls on top of his head and down his cheek, across his temple. "Save all of that for Someday."

So now, when Will knocked on her door, she grinned. They'd been acting like best friends again, with the occasional romantic tension that used to linger behind every single word. "Will. Hi," she said, gesturing with her yellow-glove-clad hand for him to sit down.

"Feeling floral today, Em?" Will asked, grinning, and Emma blushed three shades of red. She was donning a white blouse with a floral print sweater that stopped at the elbows over top of it. Gold, vintage sweater clips with little daises were clipped to the sides of her blouse, and she was carefully mulling over her tulip with scissors and a sanitizing wipe, making sure each blooming petal was perfect.

Of course Will hadn't the faintest clue of the symbolism behind the flower that sat on her desk, but she was sure that she would explain it to him.

Someday.

Subconsciously, Emma had been making a list in her head of things she wanted to do. _Ruffle Will's hair. Kiss his stubbly, five o'clock shadow. Adjust his tie. Tell him that she loved him. Lose her virginity to him. Spend all day in bed, curled up against him, doing nothing and everything. Make him breakfast. Tell him that he was Prince Charming. Wear matching outfits. Help him with Glee. Learn Spanish so that she could help him grade papers. Kiss his chest. Touch his abs. Do the buttons on his dress shirt. Hold hands while eating. Tell him about the dream she kept having of the little girl with curly red hair. Tell him about the tulip. _All of those things had been tucked away in Emma's "Save It For Someday" List. And each day, it grew longer and longer and longer.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Well..." he was hesitant. "The Glee kids don't think I'm a good enough choreographer. They think I'm lacking... they don't trust my judgment since I was never a star. But I wanted to be. It was always my plan... I just didn't have the-"

"Guts?" she asked him, looking up from her handiwork. Will's eyes widened, and Emma knew she'd hit the nail on the head. The worry and insecurity she saw in his eyes was obvious, but Emma kept going. She loved Will, though telling him so was far away on her Save It For Someday List, and she wanted to push him to go out of his comfort zone. She knew that Will could easily become a star if he really wanted to, with that talent and those gorgeous looks, there was really nothing stopping him.

Well, nothing expect for the ungrateful, mean wife at home and the probably beautiful baby that was coming soon. She sighed. "You know, Will, it takes more certainty that talent to be a star. Just look at John Stamos," she said coolly, shrugging her shoulders in reference to her least favorite actor. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something about John Stamos that had always irked her.

"You know what, Em? I think you're right..."

XXX

The following week at Benchwarmers Sports Bar, Emma was first to arrive. Terri was coming from her shift at Sheets N' Things and hadn't arrived at the bar yet, but Will had.

"Em, I... I couldn't have done this without you, you know."

"It was all you, Will. You're the one that got this group together, that choreographed all of these dance moves, that thought up the song-"

"You helped with that," Will interjected, then finally let her finish.

"I'm really proud of you, Will," she said, softer and more quietly this time. She ran her finger down is forearm, longing so much to kiss him. Her finger stopped at his hand, which he immediately used to grasp her own. He squeezed it, his thumb running lovingly over the back of her palm and tracing meaningless patterns. The look in his eyes said that he wanted more, too. "Ken's been really awesome in rehearsals," Will said suddenly, breaking the spell. "He, umm, he should to really great tonight."

"Will I... I'm..." she took a deep breath, and gazed into his gleaming blue eyes. Just then, Henri Powell burst into the bar, "Sorry I'm late!" he called to Will, who was still holding tightly to Emma's hand. "I'm gonna go change in the back!"

"Okay," Will responded as Emma pulled her hand away from Will's. More cars were starting to arrive, but Emma took a deep breath and perched on her tip toes, leaning in closer to Will so that only he could hear her.

She whispered softly into his ear, "I'm not here to see Ken, Will," and walked away, the feeling of her lips still imprinted onto Will's skin. Everything inside of him buzzed with a feeling of longing and adoration for the truly beautiful woman before him.

When Will blew a kiss at the end of his first performance, it wasn't aimed at all for the blonde in the first row, but for the woman almost directly behind her. In fact, it was the one word he could think of all night long, even as he lay awake in bed with Terri beside him.

Emma.

Emma.

Emma.

And God, he hoped that Someday would come sometime soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma Pillsbury has always hated tears. Always. To her, tears and emotion are just another sort of mess that she's too afraid to deal with. Because sometimes your own thoughts and feelings are so frightening that you don't even want to face them yourself. So when Emma sees Quinn Fabray- the popular, powerful, pretty, head-cheerleader Quinn Fabray- sobbing into the lanky arms of Finn Hudson Monday morning, her stomach immediately clenches.

She became a guidance counselor because of her love of organization. And if she couldn't sort out her own thoughts and confusion, she'd love to help clean up the emotional messes of others. So though she knows that Quinn is too proud to come into her office for help and that Finn is probably just as concerned with her reputation, she does know that there is one solution. Will.

Because as Quinn cries into Finn's red and white letterman jacket, Emma can just as easily see a few tears sparkling behind Finn's brown irises, too. And Quinn has this big "tough" guy to hold her, but Finn doesn't have anybody. She's too afraid to interject right then, but she makes a mental note to ask Will later if there's anything he could possibly to for the teenage boy.

He'd never say it out loud, but Will thinks of himself as Finn's father just as much as he thinks he is the father of his soon-to-be little girl. Emma can see it in the way Will watches Finn when the glee club is performing something, and in the way he always has an extra smile reserved for the tall quarterback.

After a day of paperwork and an emotional "He will never love me back!" type appointment with Rachel Berry, Emma sighed and sank back into her desk chair. It was nearing the end of the day, and she knew that this was one of Will's free periods. She smiled as she left her office, passing the purple tulip on her way out.

It was blooming, slowly but surely, and so was she. Maybe.

"Will?" she asked, lightly rapping on the wood of his office door.

"Just a sec," he called, and true to his word, a few moments later, the door swung open. "Em, hey," he grinned, the smile lighting up his face. Seeing her, getting to talk to her, be with her, just be near her... every single time he worked, Emma never failed to make his day. Ever.

"Hi," she said, stepping into the office. Will's hand lingered between them, near her back, but not touching her completely. He so much wanted to just pull her flush against him and kiss her senseless, but it was no use unless it meant something.

Before she got pregnant, Will was seriously considering leaving Terri. For Emma. He would never admit to the last part, but the red head had become the major reason behind the desire to divorce his wife.

"So, what can I do for you today, m'lady?" Will asked, backing up so he could sit on his desk. He smiled at the way Emma stood tentatively, rocking back and forth on her high heels and looking up at him from underneath those perfect bangs of hers.

"Well... Will, did you see Quinn at all today? Or Finn?" she asked quietly, her voice innocent and lovely in Will's ears. Finn.

_Just an hour ago, Will was driving the somber teen home from Olive Garden. Spanish 2 was Will's last class, and Finn was in it. After his admission to Will in the auditorium and their lunch, Will decided that Finn needed a break. "Where are we going, Mr. Schue?" Finn had asked as Will's clunker of a car whizzed past McKinley._

"_You need a break Finn. You've gone through enough today, don't you think?"_

"_I mean, sure, yeah, but-"_

"_No 'buts', Finn," Will said calmly, reaching over to rest his hand on Finn's shoulder. "Go home. Rest up... relax. You deserve it, after all you've been through today. You said you live on Ardmore?"_

_For a moment, Finn was quiet. "Yeah. Ardmore."_

_As Will pulled the car up to the boy's house, he placed a hand on Finn's shoulder one last time. "I'm really proud of all you did today, Finn."_

_Finn visibly swallowed, the lump in his throat growing by the second. No one had ever been proud of him before, it was always "You can't" "You don't" "You won't." But Mr. Schue was proud of him, really proud of him. And in the last hour Finn had found the father he'd been looking for for sixteen years._

"Yeah," Will said. "Yeah, I saw him today..." he paused, a far-off look clouding his eyes. That very look made Emma's heart melt into a puddle of goo, but she soon snapped her attention back to reality. She actually had a reason to come talk to Will tonight, not just a craving to hear his voice.

"I saw him, too," Emma said finally. "And Quinn... she was crying, actually, in the hallway, and Finn just looked so..." she paused, searching for the right word as she sat down beside Will on the edge of her desk. "He looked so helpless, Will. He... he needs someone, someone to talk to, because even though he's there for Quinn, he doesn't have someone to go to for help. And Finn's to proud to come talk to me, I'm sure of it, but you... I think maybe you can help him, Will. If he can trust you, and talk to you, and if you can help him like you help others..." Like you help me. "Than I think that it would be a positive thing for both of you, you know?" she looked up shyly to meet his eyes, and what she saw there made her thank goodness she was sitting down, because it would have swept her off of her feet anyway.

Will's eyes were filled with so much love, so much sympathy and kindness and caring... Emma wondered how in the world there could be no such thing as perfection because it was sitting right in front of her, knee touching knee.

"You never cease to amaze me, Emma," he said finally, smiling a little. His hand moved from its perch on the desk to meet hers, and he rested his large palm over her hand. Her mouth formed an "o" shape, unable to form a coherent thought other than she would wait for him forever, if she had to.

Here he was, exactly what everybody needed in this town, and he was calling _her_ the amazing one. "W-why?" she managed, her eyes pleading. This conversation had begun about how much Finn needed someone in his life right now to go to for help, for anything, but the words had begun to take on an alternate spin.

_I need you Will. I love you. I need you so, so much. I'll wait forever, because you're exactly what I want, always. You're all I'll ever need. _You're_ the amazing one, and one day, I'll tell you- show you- just how incredible you are. _The words rushed through her mind, but she bit them back, knowing that she would have to save them for later. For Someday.

Will finally answered. "Because you care so much about everyone, about the students here... you immediately want to help, not just to say that you did, but you genuinely want to make everything okay for these kids, and that just blows me away. The amount of love you have in there," he nodded his head towards her heart, slowly running a finger down her jawline and making her shiver, "makes me wonder if there is a such thing as perfection after all... because if there was, I think I know that it's standing right in front of me." The bitter honesty of his words made her eyes fill up with tears.

It was as if he could read every thought that crossed her mind. "Will, I-"

_Knock. Knock. Knock. _"Mr. Schuester!" The cheery voice of Rachel Berry traveled through the glossy wood of the door and into the classroom.

"Rachel," he said quietly, as if just to himself. Then, "I'll be right there, Rachel," a bit louder so that the impatient teen, who continued to knock on the door, could hear. Still, Will made no move to get up. His hand was cupping her cheek, and her hand resting lightly over his, as if to remove his palm from her face even though she would never. Her other hand was pressed on the desk, Will's resting over it lovingly. The way their knees touched sent jolts of electricity up Emma's spine, but did nothing compared to the longing look that laced Will's hazel irises.

She cleared her throat, "You, umm... you better, ehm, get the door?" Though usually a statement, shy Emma managed to somehow transform it into a stuttering question. Will smiled- he wouldn't exchange her nervous stammer for anything. She was perfect just the way she was, full of caring and compassion and love for everyone.

"You're really something, Em," he told her honestly before slowly removing his hand from her cheek and pressing a kiss to her forehead as he got up to answer the door.

"Thanks, Mr. Schuester," Emma said as she exited the classroom, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks when she left Will and Rachel to chat about one of Rachel's "many viable proposals for Sectionals."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

She never liked to go to football games. She barely understood the game, the crowd was often rowdy, the bleachers were filthy, the food disgusting, and McKinley unfailingly lost. But when Will Schuester walked into her office Friday morning, an ear-splitting grin on his face, and asked her if she was going to the game tonight like he was, "yes" seemed to be the only word she could manage.

If she thought he was smiling before, it was nothing compared to the way his face lit up when she promised she would be there. "Save you a seat?" he asked, and his nose crinkled in that loving way when she nodded. "You're in for a show, Em," he winked, and then he was gone. Just like that.

Only he could sweep in and turn her world upside down in a matter of moments...

Leave it to Will to rope her into going to the packed stadium to watch the game, to sit in a breeding ground for germs and bacteria for a matter of hours. But she would do it a thousand times over if she got to see that genuine smile light up his face. It was that moment, as she entered the stadium and politely paid for her ticket that Emma realized she would do absolutely anything for Will Schuester.

"Em, hey," she would know that voice anywhere. "This seat taken?" She looked up from her intense scrubbing of the front bleacher to see the dreamy expression of Will.

"Will, hi..." she said, then looking down at the wipe in her hand and blushed. As if the latex gloves on her hands weren't embarrassing enough. "No, no of course not," she said, scooting over to make room for Will beside her. "But it is, umm, clean."

He let out a laugh, "That's always a plus, right?"

She lifted her gaze to meet his, and she could feel her ears turning red. The sexual tension in the air was almost tangible, as always, and being such close proximity to Will wasn't making it any easier. Will. Shouldn't she be thinking of Ken right now? She couldn't help but roll her eyes as the man she was supposed to be in love with threw his clipboard down onto the field and stomped on it in anger, yelling about a "bad call."

"I hope they win tonight," Emma thought absently, fidgeting with the trim of her red peacoat. She smiled as she met Will's eyes, his hazel irises boring into her brown ones with a look of adoration. "I mean... I know they can do it. Don't you? Sometimes... sometimes you just have to work a little harder for the things you want. There might be all these obstacles in your way, but you've got to- I'm sorry... I'm rambling, aren't I?" she giggled, feeling the heat on her cheeks.

"Yeah," he whispered, "A little." His smile changed into a more serious expression before he said, "Finish it. What you were saying. What happens, Em, when all the obstacles get in your way?"

And suddenly this conversation was about anything but football.

Emma swallowed, her throat feeling dry and thick. It seemed as if time had stopped, and the world around them was dead silent. The audience watched intently as the opposing team tried (and succeeded) to kick a field goal, and other than the sounds of Will and Emma's voices, one could have heard a pin drop.

She remembered to speak. "You have to keep going," she said finally, her eyes never leaving Will's. "You have to keep moving towards what you want, that ultimate goal, or else you'll forget all about your dreams and end up settling into something less than you deserve. Because if you tell yourself that you're never going to get that happy ending... you won't, will you?"

It was a question. She didn't feel like masking it anymore. Over the week she had become increasingly insecure about the budding relationship she had with Will, about their promise. She knew that Someday would come, she had to believe it, but she also knew that if Will didn't fight for it as avidly as she did, than it would never come true.

"No," he said, "you're right. And you shouldn't be... concerned, at all, or worried about whether I've given up on my happy ending already. I never will, Emma, because-" Will was interrupted by the strains of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" suddenly pulsing through the stadium.

The crowd leaned forward in their seats, nothing audible over the loud music. Will turned his head to watch for a second just as the football team launched into a theatrical dance routine that he, with the help of Kurt, had choreographed. The other team stood motionless on the field, to shell-shocked to complete any semblance of their carefully drawn-out play. By the time the McKinley Titan's had finished the routine, Kurt had already kicked the ball into the air.

It soared towards the yellow posts, and again there was that deafening silence that filled Will's ears. When the ball when through the post, earning McKinley their first win all season, the silence was replaced by the loudest cheers Will had ever heard.

Without thinking, everyone was standing, clapping, and a few row's back (in the case of Mr. Hummel), yelling and grabbing and profusely dabbing at their eyes. He grabbed Emma into a bone-crushing embrace, and for a split second, the noise stopped.

The world stopped.

The game stopped.

_His breath_ stopped. For that split second, it was only he and Emma, and no one else in the world. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her then and there, but he knew that someone would surely see. And in the second that they pulled away, Will holding lightly to Emma's forearms, he remembered what he had been about to say.

_You're right. And you shouldn't be... concerned, at all, or worried about whether I've given up on my happy ending already. I never will, Emma, because... _"Because my happy ending is you." It was barely louder than a whisper, and he wasn't sure if she'd even heard him complete his sentence, but he meant every word of it.

And suddenly, Someday was a more vivid concept than ever.

_A/N: So this wasn't my best writing, and it took a while, but at least it's done! Time for the next chapter... school starts next week for me, so I'm not sure how soon I'll be able to update, but expect something within the next week or so? I hope... ;) Review, comment, do whatever stuff y'all like to do! As always, I love any and all feedback, so don't be afraid to use some constructive critism!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Takes place during "The Rhodes Not Taken"**

**Enjoy!**

The happy feelings after Will's admission that _she_ was his happy ending were short lived. Too short lived. Will called her a panic on Sunday morning, pulling from her weekend dreamland into reality.

"Will?" she asked as she poured herself a cup of tea. It was barely noon, and Emma had overslept that day. She hated to sleep past nine, even on weekends, because she felt like she was wasting her day away. But her dreams had been so pleasant the past few nights... always including a certain hazel-eyed, curly-haired Spanish teacher.

"Em, thank God," he breathed, "I was worried you weren't going to pick up." His voice sounded distressed, nervous, and on edge. Had something gone wrong? Had he and Terri had a fight? Was he finally calling to tell her that he just wanted to be- strictly- friends? She gulped, praying that wasn't the reason as she asked, "Will, are you alright? You sound... off."

He sighed, "No..." There was a long pause before he admitted, "I wanted to call last night, but I figured you were busy, or asleep, and I didn't want to intrude on your weekend or anything. I need your help."

"You can call me whenever you need me, Will... you know that."

"Right." His voice sounded a little calmer now, but not by much. "Em, Rachel stopped by the apartment yesterday. She... she said she was quitting Glee. Giving Tina the solo last week was the last straw, she said, and she was cast as the lead in the school play. Sandy's directing it. He's directing it with _Sue_."

Emma's stomach lurched- she thought that Sandy wasn't even allowed back on school grounds. And now this? Will loved the Glee club, and without Rachel, winning would be a lot more difficult. Emma didn't doubt that New Directions could win Sectionals without Rachel- every single member was extremely talented. But the weight that Rachel pulled so easily would take a Herculean effort on anyone else's part.

"Oh, Will... is there anything I can do? Do you want me to talk to her about it tomorrow or something?" her heart immediately went out to her best friend- he was throwing everything into this club, and Sue would stop at nothing to tear it down.

"No, no, you don't have to do that... But at dinner last night, I got an idea. And... I sort of need you to do me a favor." _Anything for you, Will. _"A huge favor." _Just say the words._ "Did you know that if you didn't graduate, no matter how old you are, you can still be in Glee club?"

"N-no..." Emma could see where this was going, and it was not someplace she'd like to visit.

"Well, you can. Vocal Adrenaline has members older than twenty-four, Em-"

"Will, that's cheating."

"Not if you need the credits. And I think I know someone who does."

"Will... you know I'm not supposed to give you any sort of information, files, anything, really... right?"

Nothing she could say, however, could make him change his mind. Emma Pillsbury learned very early on in her friendship with Will that once he got his heart set on something, he wouldn't give up on it, no matter what happened. Will was not a quitter, and he had already latched onto this apparently "perfect!" plan. And with the whole night to mull over the idea (even though she didn't really need any time at all- she'd do anything for Will in a heartbeat), Emma was on the way to helping Will find April Rhodes. And changing _everything_ in the process.

XXXXXXXX

"You know I could lose my job for this," Emma sighed, fidgeting with the edge of the folder. It was well past five, and all students participating extracurricular activities had headed home long ago.

"Em, this was fifteen years ago. No one cares," Will argued, extending his hands for the file. She swallowed, _But you care, _biting back a few unfriendly words. But with that smiling glint in his eyes, that spark, who was she to resist him? With only a hint of reluctance, Emma passed her eager colleague the manilla folder, watching as he tore into it.

"She was pretty," Emma gestured to the picture inside, "April was, I mean." Of all the people Will could have remembered, it just had to be this gorgeous April Rhodes girl. She felt small and insecure compared to the vivacious blonde with the dazzling smile that filled the page before them.

"Pretty? April Rhodes was a _goddess._ She was my first crush," Will admitted, running a hand through his curls as a look of nostalgia came over him. Emma pretended like the words didn't sting her at all when Will met her eyes.

Instead, she latched on to the first thought that crossed her mind. And honestly, this excited her a bit. "W-wait, I thought you said that your wife was your first crush...?"

"April was a senior when I was a freshman. She wouldn't even look at me," Will shook his head, a bittersweet smile crossing his face, his eyes looked so far away it was like he was on a trip into the past. But Emma didn't notice- she was too caught up in the fact that Terri hadn't been the one and only person that Will had ever loved. She still felt a flicker of insecurity behind her new revelation, so the words tumbled from her mouth before she could catch them. "W-wait... so... you've had feelings for someone... other than your wife?" her voice came out small and meek, and Emma suddenly felt both of those things.

"What?" Will flipped open his laptop, not even looking at her. _Not even caring_. She tried to conceal the hurt in her eyes, but she couldn't. Now that Will was going to be reunited with April, his first crush who was undoubtedly still gorgeous and perfect, all of his plans with her would be dashed to bits. Of course. He rolled his eyes, typing away as she rambled aimlessly. "Em, I'd love to play 'This Is Your Life' right now, but-" he was cut off by a sniffle, then, "I have to go."

Emma stood up abruptly, grabbing her cardigan from the back of her chair before moving swiftly towards the door. The clacking of the keyboard stopped short as Will caught sight of a tear trolling it's way down Emma's pale cheek, and he immediately felt sick inside.

"Em, wait..." he got up from his chair, grabbing her lightly by the elbow as she struggled with the doorknob through her tear-clouded eyes. "Emma."

She looked at him, "What, Will? I've helped you find your long lost lover, April, can I go now, please?" the pleading tone in her voice was enough to almost put Will over the edge with guilt. God, had he been so stupid? So ignorant? Had he forgotten just how delicate and fragile Emma was?

He refused to let her arm free, and she willed herself not to cry. Only a few tears had escaped, but still. She was making a fool of herself, and she just wanted to go home. She was looking at her shoes, concentrating hard on the buckles of her Mark Jane heels, when Will tilted her chin up so she met his eyes.

"Hey... hey," he whispered, wiping away a lone tear with the pad of his thumb. "Emma... I had a crush on April for, like, two months, fifteen years ago. It doesn't matter now, and it hasn't mattered for years. You know what matters to me now, right?" He pulled her close to him, but still she resisted, her arms crossing over her own hips like a shield against him. Finally, when he pulled her into him completely, she relented, burying her face into Will's collar. She shook her head, then came the muffled whisper, "I'm such an idiot."

"You are no such thing, Em," he whispered, "You're perfect, because you're you. And you have nothing to worry about when April comes to this school, okay?"

She nodded, pulling away, letting out a half laugh, half sob. "Okay." He kissed her forehead, and for a second, she almost forgot that Will had a wife and family to go home to. For a second, she could almost pretend that it _was _okay, and that Will was finally hers.

XXXXXXXXX

Will was honestly impressed. The disheveled, broken April Rhodes he'd found yesterday squatting on the curb of 52 Bontempo Road had transformed herself into a bubbly blonde dynamo, and her flawless rendition of "Maybe This Time" had really blown him away.

"So stick that in your pipe and smoke it," April quipped, catching her breath after the last jaw-dropping high note. Will shook his head, chuckling under his breath. This had been a good idea, he decided.

Until he saw the faces of the glee club.

Most of them had expressions of worry, or shock, painted across their young faces. When he'd told them about the new addition, he hadn't mentioned April's age, only her talent. And with both of them combined, April really did have years on his students. Artie held Tina's hand in intimidation, and Mercedes and Kurt exchanged a look that said "oh no she did not." But she had. April had showed the Glee club that talent doesn't age, and they were yet to believe it.

Maybe they appreciated her voice, just not her abrasive personality quite yet. And while he mulled this over intently in the choir room, his eyes never leaving April, he failed to notice the two distressed women standing in the doorway.

XXXXXXXXXX

Emma wasn't sure what led her to the choir room that day, other than her desire to see April in person. And when she reached the door, she was greeted with one of the most distressing sights she'd ever seen. There was April, looking barely a few years older than her senior picture, and Will, never taking his eyes off of her. As April belted out the last notes of the song, Emma felt herself paling. Shrinking. She could never compare to April Rhodes. Yes, Will had assured her that she had nothing to worry about with their discussion Monday and a sweet note on her desk that morning, but she still ached with fear.

With the way Will's eyes seemed glued to the blonde, Emma wasn't sure if she could trust Will's words. If he had a wandering eye with Terri, could he have the same wandering eye with her? And it wasn't like she and Will were even an item. There was just that elusive promise of Someday, and the hope that it would come true.

So many obstacles stood in their way, and April had just added another. Was all of this worry, this never ending fear that Someday might never occur, worth it? One look at Will told her it was, but a second glance at April kept Emma unsure. "Jealous?" A voice and a tap on her shoulder interrupted Emma's thoughts.

She turned around to face Rachel Berry, looking equally queasy and distressed. "Wha... N-no. No, of course not. W-why... would I be jealous, Rachel?" Emma took on an overly chipper, teacher-like tone of voice, and Rachel gave her a pointed look. The teen's brown eyes spoke clearly, _Oh, please. You aren't fooling _anyone. And Emma gulped.

"Don't worry," Rachel said, "I can't help but feel a little unsure, either. I thought leaving Glee club would make them chase after me, you know? Make them really see what they were missing. But... with _her_," Rachel gestured to April, who was leaning against the piano as if she had just woken from a nap, not ripped a classic show tune a new one. "It seems like my fellow glee clubbers won't be missing me at all."

"Rachel-"

"What?" Rachel asked, turning around on the heel of her bright yellow ballet flats. "All the more reason not to be a part of that club. I can shine so much more on my own. I don't need them in the background. I never did."

"But-"

"See you around, Ms. Pillsbury." And Rachel Berry was gone.

XXXXXXXXXX

By Wednesday, April had been a part of the club for a full day, and the students had barely warmed up to her. To them, she was just someone else in their way of shining and getting the stardom they all secretly (or not so secretly) craved.

"April," Will called as the bell dismissed his Spanish 3 class. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" She smiled brightly, nodding her head of blonde curls and ambling up to his desk at the front of the room. April always seemed a little off balance, and her bright blue eyes always seemed a little foggy looking. Maybe it was just Will, but maybe... No. He pushed those negative thoughts from him head- he needed April, and she had promised to stay sober while in the club.

"Yes, Mr. Schuester?" she asked with a wink, leaning over the edge of his desk where he was sitting down, showing off her rather large chest. Will blinked a few times, his eyes snapping up to meet her eyes. He stood up from his chair, uncomfortable with the seductive way that April was eying him. Sure, she was gorgeous, but she didn't hold a candle to Emma.

Yes, he was married, but he had given his heart to the red headed guidance counselor down the hall years ago. It had been hers from day one, but her knowing it was a fairly recent addition. Will loved Terri, of course he did, but he was not in love with her at all. He supposed he would always love his then-wife, as strictly a friend, maybe less, but he was currently completely and utterly in love with Emma. And not even his first crush flirting mercilessly was going to change the way he felt about her.

"Whoa, um, listen... April..." he massaged the back of his neck with his hand, sighing. "I don't think that the Glee kids have... warmed up to you quite yet. You're a big personality, April, and we already have a lot of those in the club. So maybe before the invitational Friday, you could just..." he scoured his brain for the right words, "tone it down a little? Try to befriend them? It would... it would mean a lot."

She giggled, "April Rhodes, doesn't tone it down, William," she gave that signature wink again, elbowing him lightly in the arm. "But for you? I'll try to make friends." She bit her lip before she turned sharply on her high heeled shoes, leaving him alone in his classroom, more puzzled than ever.

XXXXXXXXXX

And make friends she did. It began with Kurt, then Tina and Mercedes, and the football players. Slowly, almost every member of the Glee club became pro-April, and Will was shocked. He was happy, really. Or at least he attempted to be.

Will wished that he didn't notice the slur in Kurt's words, or the new bling that coated Tina and Mercedes, when they told him that they hoped April was here to stay. He pretended not to see the way the football players ogled her when she exited the choir room, and he tried to ignore the way she hung off of Puck's muscular arms in the hallway.

Will attempted to be naïve, and attempted to convince himself that keeping April around wasn't such a horrible idea. He knew she was a bad influence on the kids somewhere in the back of his mind, but he was too focused on giving a great invitational that he let the clear signs bypass him.

"Will?" a soft voice interrupted the grading of his papers. He would know that voice anywhere, and it immediately brought a grin to his face. "Emma," she smiled, looking up from his papers and patting the seat next to him, "What's up?"

His face fell when hers did, and when he met her eyes, he saw the worry so clearly painted in her brown eyes. "Will..." she look a seat. "It's April. She... she almost ran me over in the parking lot this morning. She was drunk, Will. She's been smelling like alcohol this whole week, and the way she glares at me... she just isn't sending me any good signs, Will." She'd rehearsed her little speech all day in her office, and now she was able to make her voice sound soft yet firm. She reached across the table to take Will's hand in hers as she said quietly, "I think April's a bad influence on the kids. And i-if something happens again..." She paused, redirecting the sentence. "Will, I know that the invitational is tomorrow. And that it's so important to you. But... as an educator, it's my job to look out for these kids. For their best interests. And before you put her on stage tomorrow night, just... please think about who you're doing this for. And why."

Somehow, she mustered up the courage to kiss him lightly on the forehead before leaving him alone in the teacher's lounge to soak up her words.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was Friday morning. And Emma felt the dead weight of dread settle in her stomach even more so than usual today. Usually, Emma hated the weekends just because she spent them alone, missing Will and wondering what he and Terri were doing that day. But now she not only had to deal with missing him, but she had to deal with him keeping April in Glee.

She'd heard them practicing yesterday, after her talk with Will, and April's loud voice rung out through the hallways, sticking out like a sore thumb among the drowned-out voices of McKinley's _actual_ students. And quite honestly, Emma's feelings were hurt. She supported Will in everything he did-he was her best friend, her almost-lover- and he had to know that it had taken her hours to muster the confidence to stand up to him like that.

To threaten to tell Figgins on him... did he think that was easy for her to do? Of course she wanted to see the club succeed, but with a prospering teen at the lead, instead of someone who had already wasted their chance to shine.

But still, Emma refused to let April Rhodes or Will ruin her morning. Every Friday morning, Emma made her rounds around the school, saying "hi" to students and letting their positive energy soak into her, hoping that it might take affect.

So as she patrolled the main hallway, nearing the choir room, a horrible smell filled her nose, making Emma spin sharply on her Mary-Jane heel. "Kurt?" she asked, shocked at the sight.

The usually perfectly-coiffed teenager looked disheveled and greasy, his suit jacket slung low on his shoulder and his tie hanging limply around his neck. There were huge purple bags under his eyes, and his breath smelled roughly of alcohol. She tried not to gag as they made eye contact. She was appalled- and surprised. And before she said a word, Emma already had her suspicions as to who had done this to one of her favorite pupils. Anger bubbled up inside her. _How could April? And how could Will, of all people, let this happen?_

"Kurt," she said coolly, cocking her head to one side. "Kurt, I'm a girl who knows her solvents, and your breath smells like rubbing alcohol..." she trailed off as Kurt stumbled closer. She raised her hands, a red flag, a useless defense against him.

"Bambi..." he slurred, "I cried so hard when those hunters shot your mommy..." But he never got to finished. Before Emma could say anything, Kurt was emptying the contents of his stomach all over her skirt and brand new shoes.

Emma felt the vomit trickling down her legs, and suddenly, she was far, far away from McKinley high school. Emma was eight, not thirty, splashing to the surface of a disgusting run off lagoon. She was screaming and vomiting, and her tears felt hot on her young, freckly face.

She kept her eyes clamped shut, her arms still raised in defense. Her mouth was a shocked "O" shape, a few whimpers escaping. A few hot tears trickled down her cheeks, and she was gasping for air. She felt strangled- like she couldn't breathe, like she was choking- and her mind was running off in a million directions. Before she knew it, Emma was back at that lagoon, the putrid smell invading her every sense. She gulped, trying and failing to keep the tears at bay.

Emma was frozen.

A few teachers popped their heads out to see what all the commotion was about, but it was no use now. Mrs. Carlisle shook her head sadly as she dialed Figgins on her classroom phone. Finn and Rachel had witnessed the exchange, and were holding Kurt up, leaning him against the lockers. "Rachel," Finn said, "Go and get Mr. Schue. Now."

The teen looked shocked, but scurried quickly down the hallway. Emma didn't hear a word of the exchange anyway, she was in the middle of one of the worst panic attacks she had ever felt.

She became increasingly dizzy and lightheaded, the overwhelming urge to vomit was overpowering her small body. She sobbed quietly, begging for the panic to stop. For the smell to go away. And just as she felt a strong hand on her waist, and heard Will's soothing voice in her ears, Emma passed out completely.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Em? Emma? Emma, wake up," Will shook her gently, in a bit of shock himself. Kurt was in the nurses office, but Will still remained in the hallway, an unconscious Emma in his arms. Scooping her up was easy, and within a few steps, he had reached the faculty restroom.

He pulled her inside, locked the door, and sat on the toilet seat. Pulling her into the safety of his lap was challenging, as she was shaking now, but seconds later Emma found herself in the safety of Will's arms.

The panic showed no signs of letting up, but his soothing voice brought her to a somewhat conscious state.

"W-will? Will!" her whispers came out in a pained voice, like she was yelling for him.

"Em, Emma... shh... you're alright, you're going to be okay..."

"Will." She was begging for his help, and he had no idea how to give it.

"Emma, Emma honey, you're okay, I've got you. I've got you now," he ran his fingers through her hair, guilt taking over every part of him. If only he had listened. If only he had told April that she was a bad influence. If only he could have stopped her from giving whatever booze that was to Kurt. If only he had been there to see it happen, to save her.

But he wasn't, and he couldn't do any of those things now. It was too late. Emma was hysterical, her face growing redder. She showed no signs of stopping her body from shaking and going into overdrive, but Lord only knows that she was trying. "Emma... you're okay... you're here, you're not at the farm, Em," he told her, trying to bring her back.

Once, she had confided in him that during her panic attacks, she felt like she was back in that runoff. She felt helpless and young and the smell was overpowering her all over again. He pulled her closer to him, rubbing circles on her back.

"Will." It was all she could say as she cried. She shaking slowed to a stop as Will held her tighter against his chest, pressing her face into the crook of his neck. "Oh, Emma, honey..." he whispered as he felt her grabbing fistfuls of his shirt, trembling with fear and anxiety.

"Shh..." he ran his fingers through her cherry curls and kissed the top of her head. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the sobs subsided to whimpers and sniffles. With a shuddering gasp, Emma looked up to meet Will's eyes.

And the look she gave him, the helpless look, made Will's eyes filled with tears. It was him who had put all of the pain in her brown eyes, all of this fear was essentially his fault. "Oh, Emma, honey... I'm so, so sorry..." he moved swiftly out from underneath her, sitting her on the seat of the toilet. She whimpered at the loss of contact, and Will squeezed her hand.

Slowly, he unbuckled her Mary-Janes, setting them aside. As he squatted on his knees with soapy wet paper towels, cleaning off her legs and feet, she sighed. "Will... y-you... you saved me..."

He looked up, "God, Emma... no... no, I... I should have listened to you. I should have listened when you said April was a bad influence, and you were right. You were _so_ right... This is all my fault, Em, all of it... I'm so, so sorry. I never meant to hurt you, sweetie..." his voice trailed off as her eyes bore into his.

"N-no... Will... you saved me. T-that panic attack, it could have been _a lot_ worse. But... you were there, and you held me, and you said that you had me and that I was okay. You _made_ me okay, Will." There were tears in her eyes, and he couldn't take it anymore.

"Emma..." he whispered, taking her into his arms. She stood on top of his shoes so her bare feet never hit the bathroom floor, and he pulled her as close to him as possible. Emma buried her face in his collar, and he rocked them both back and forth, whispering how he was so, so sorry over and over again. "I'm never going to let this happen again... Emma, as long as I'm with you, I'm never going to see you like this again, I'm never going to let you hurt like this, okay?"

"Will..." she was speechless. He had given her so much already, and he had apologized for all that was April Rhodes. "This week was such a mess..." she choked, new tears forming in her eyes. Her voice was thick, "I hate fighting with you."

"I know, baby, I know," he whispered, "I don't- I can't fight with you, Em. You're my sunshine, you know," he said, and he felt her smile against his shirt. "Emma? Can I ask you something?" he asked after a few moments of silence. He hated how every time he held her, it felt like goodbye.

She nodded. "Do you like this? Do... do you want this?"

"Want what, Will?"

"This," he said, "Me, and you, and us being together... holding each other... God, I hate how every time we do this, it feels like it's going to be forever until next time. I hate how I can't treat you the way you deserve to be treated, Em... with all the love and care in the world. And you deserve someone to hold you, every day, whenever... whenever you want."

"Don't let go," she said, her voice panicked again. Was this it? Was he leaving her now, just because he'd seen how hard things were going to be? "Will... I don't care when someone holds me, or loves me, or how often it is when the person doing those things is you. I only want you, Will. I'm... I'm sorry. I'm happy, just like this."

He hugged her closer, "But I'm not. Emma... I can't wait any longer. Can we... can we be... something? More than just friends? I want to be able to show you all that you deserve, and I can't do any of that if we're waiting around for Someday."

"I think I'd like that," she said, her eyes smiling as she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him softly.

"Oh, Emma..." he breathed, kissing her again. "Someday, I'm going to be able to kiss you and not care whose watching."

**_A/N:_ So there you have it, Chapter 4. I was getting tired of all of the angsty waiting around. So, even though I didn't phrase it like this in the chapter, they pretty much just both agreed to being in an affair. But not exactly, since their both too good of people... whatever, see it the way you choose to see it, because any way you spin it, it's still cute ;) Reviews and comments=love! Next update should be sometime this week :D p.s. Raise your hand if you're buying the Glee full Season 1 on DVD Tuesday! Woot woot!**

**-Liv**


	5. Chapter 5, Part 1 Bliss

**Chapter 5, Part 1 "Bliss" **

**This takes place before Vitamin D, because I wanted to be nice and give Will and Emma some nice time together before Terri comes in and ruins stuff. ("She's a life-ruiner... she ruins peoples lives!"=There is a Mean Girls quote for everything...) Anyway, this is the first smutty-ish thing I've ever written so, please, please, please be nice, but don't go easy on me! Because I want to get better at writing this sort of thing! ;) Thanks and enjoy! -Liv**

For two weeks, it was bliss. That's the only word Emma could use to describe it. In the two weeks that followed the glee club invitational, things in her relationship with Will had progressed extremely well. The first week had just been experimentation. At first she had been nervous for the coming Monday. The weekend had been spent away from Will, but sitting next to him at the invitational had made up for it.

When Mercedes belted out the final notes of "Somebody To Love," Will had reached over and squeezed Emma's hand, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb in slow, gentle circles. She had looked over at him, their eyes meeting, and Will had brushed a strand of curly red hair from her face. When the audience stood to give the group a standing ovation, he had leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. It had been soft and inconspicuous- a brief taste of what was to come.

During the school days following, they had been almost inseparable. They had the same lunch and free periods, which were spent in Will's office. Lunch would be the blissful hour of talking and holding hands and pretending that when Emma left the choir-room confines, she would not just be a friend. The free periods were spent hunched over paperwork or tests to grade, but their hands never unlocked and sweet kisses were shared over the stacks of crisp white paper.

"Emma," Will breathed, stepping into her office. His cheeks were a little red and his breath heavy, as if he had just been panting. "Hey..." he panted, smiling as he took his usual seat across from Emma.

"Will," she giggled, "Why the rush? Don't you have a class in..." she checked her watch, "umm, now?"

He grinned his cheeky, boyish grin that made Emma go weak in the knees and replied, "Because Terri-" Emma attempted not to flinch when Will's wife was mentioned. She felt horrible, kissing a married man like this, but her heart had belonged to him for so long. Will felt like hers already even though he was so far from it. She liked to think of their relationship as an early start, a prologue, to the Someday that they both dreamed of. "-told me this morning that she picked up and extra shift. On Wednesdays and Fridays, at night. From four to nine..."

Emma's eyes grew wider, and Will checked over his shoulder to make sure no one was walking through the hallways. When he knew the coast was clear, he reached his hand over the desk to take Emma's, which always calmed her nerves. "Em, I don't have glee on those days. And you don't have SAT Prep on those days." He raised his eyebrows, hinting at the meaning behind his words.

"Will..." she let out the breath she had been holding, "Do you... I mean... You really think we could...?" she didn't really know what Will was thinking, but then again, with the way Will was looking at her right now Emma felt like she didn't even know her own _name_.

"I want to spend those nights with you, Emma." His words were so blunt and to the point that it took her by surprise. She blushed, her eyebrows pinching together slightly and her gaze shifting down to make the adorable face that Will loved so much. She was thinking about it now, a little embarrassed- Will could read Emma's emotions as though they were an open book.

"Oh, W-will..." she moved around her desk to sit beside him, her hand never leaving his own.

"I want you- I need you- to trust me, Em. I've got you, remember that, always, okay?" he said, kissing her forehead lightly as she sat down.

"I know, Will. I know, you've got me, you'll always be there..." he had repeated this mantra to her fairly often, and the way her eyes lit up a little when she recited his words assured Will that convincing Emma to spend time with him outside of school was going to be relatively easy. "... But I can't help wondering, you know, if this is... wrong? A bad idea?"

He recoiled a little, surprised, "Emma, tell me something."

"Anything, Will."

"Does it feel wrong?" he asked, leaning closer, brushing his lips against hers. "When I kiss you?"

There was pause as Emma's eyes fluttered open, and a smile graced her features. "Gosh, no..."

And so it began. On Wednesdays and Fridays, Will would follow Emma home to her condo. She would cook him dinner, and they would act as though they were an actual couple. With no ill-placed windows or nosy teachers and students to intrude on their privacy every so often, they found it easier to lose themselves in one another.

Whenever Will set foot in Emma's home, he just felt grateful. In a moment of peace on Emma's couch, she had admitted to him that he was the first man, besides her father and brother, to set foot in her condo. And that's when Will realized that Emma wasn't the type of person who let people in often. But, for some reason, she had chosen _him_, and let _him_ in, and chose _him_ to trust the most. And Will would never break that trust. This house was Emma's sanctuary, and every time Will was inside her special place, he promised himself that it would be solely to make Emma happy.

And if he received his own happiness in the process, it was just an added bonus. He was happy if she was, and that was more than enough.

From four to nine, two days a week, both Will and Emma felt the happiest that had been in years. And soon the condo became Will's sanctuary, too.

XXXXXXXXX

"Will?" Emma called, her voice jubilant and sweet as she stirred the spaghetti. "Can you grab the plates from the cabinet?" She was making their standard Friday night dinner- always pasta- from scratch, a new usual. Whenever Will attempted to help Emma in the kitchen, she would shoo him away, telling him to relax for a few minutes before dinner. He would sigh and scurry away, sometimes to the living room but most times just a few feet away, to the kitchen table. He couldn't stand to be away from her for more than a few minutes at a time. The time they spent together was rare, and Will cherished every second.

"Of course," he said, standing up from where he sat at her kitchen table and reaching into the cabinet above the dishwasher for two plates. He set them on the counter beside her, then stepped closer. "Hi," he whispered, his breath in her ear.

She jumped at first, then giggled as he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, kissing her neck. It was moments like these that Emma forgot about the rest of the world, and reality, and imagined that she and Will were a happy couple without a care in the world. And it was moments like these- when he spun her around so they were chest to chest and kissed her passionately- when she could almost believe it.

The loud grumble of his stomach interrupted their heated make-out session, and Emma smiled widely into his kisses. Now he was just kissing her lips softly over and over again, his tongue darting out every few moments to run along her lips. She sighed, "Will," and pulled away with a laugh as his arms remained firm around her. "Let me go so I can get some food in you," she said, running her finger across his jaw.

He sighed dejectedly, pouting over to the table. Seconds later, Emma returned with two heaping plates of spaghetti. What Will quickly learned about Emma was that she was an excellent cook. Terri lived off of takeout and could barely use the oven and stove, but with Emma, each dish was better than the last. He reached for her hand across the table and she took it eagerly. They ate in comfortable silence, every once in a while squeezing the other's hand. Both of them relished in the constant reassurance of their clasped fingers that this, all of this, was actually real.

When dinner was finished, Will set the plates in the sink. Emma liked to hand-wash her dishes- she didn't trust dishwashers all that much. "Oh," she interrupted, "Just put those in the dishwasher for now." She stepped closer to him upon his puzzled expression, suddenly craving his touch. As much as Emma loved these dinners, she couldn't help but to feel sad that it would be almost five days before they got to do this again. She opened her arms to him and he met her halfway, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Em? You okay?" he asked quietly, running his fingers through her silky hair. She loved it when he did that for her, played with her hair- it made her feel so relaxed and loved. She wondered if he was going to do the same thing for Terri when he got home from her house, and she bit back the negative emotions, willing the tears to stay behind her eyes.

If she thought that waiting for Will was difficult, having him but knowing he belonged to someone else was almost impossible. She buried her face in his collar, nodding against his chest. "Yeah, of course... could you just... hold me for a minute, though?"

"Oh, Emma, I'll always hold you, honey..." he whispered, pulling her closer to him by pushing one of knees in between her legs. His hand moved under her sweater to her back, and she sighed happily. "That feels good."

"Want to watch a movie?" Will asked after another moment, "It's only six thirty. We've got some time." Looking up finally, she smiled. Will didn't question her watery eyes- having a time restraint on the small amounts of time they had together hurt him, too.

"Sure," she said softly as Will slung and arm around her hips, pulling their sides together. When she sagged against him contentedly he asked with a chuckle, "You really thought I was going to let you go that fast?"

Her eyes widened- had he read her thoughts exactly? There was no better feeling than being in Will's arms, and even though watching a movie with him on her sofa would be lovely, she could have stayed in his hold just like that for the rest of the night. Or forever. Preferably the latter. Her mouth formed an "o" shape, and Will immediately held her tighter. "Em," he whispered, "Don't worry. You know how much I care about you, don't you? You know... you know just how important you are to me?" He wanted so much to tell her that he loved her, because he did, but he had a feeling that confirming what she was already _supposed_ to know would make everything so much harder.

He sat on the couch as she popped "My Fair Lady" into the DVD player, mulling over his words. _He cared about her. She was important. But she _loved_ him. She loved him, and she had no idea how to say it. _She sat near him on the couch, but not quite touching like she wanted to. She had been so tired lately, and overly sensitive, and just wanted Will to hold her and promise her the world. "C'mere," he said, beckoning for her with his arms. Emma grinned widely, genuinely, and snuggled into his arms. She was laying in between his legs, both of their bodies outstretched on the sofa. She sighed happily as he kissed her neck just as the opening credits began to roll. His arms tightening around her middle and she relaxed into him further, the tension seeping out of her shoulders with every kiss he gave her.

"I know you do, Will," she said finally. Even though he hadn't said it, she knew that he loved her by the way he held her so carefully and with so much love she felt like she might burst.

"You better," he teased, flipping them over gently so that he was on top of her. Emma felt herself giddy with anticipation of his kisses, and soon his lips were on hers. Will sighed into their kiss. His tongue darted out to graze her lips, and without hesitation, she parted them to allow him access. Their tongues touched and danced together, connecting the two of them in such a way that made Emma's heart erupt in a swarm of butterflies.

She moaned happily as Will's hands slid down her sides, then back up, grazing the sides of her breasts. She blushed upon letting out such a sound, pulling away a little in embarrassment. "You're so cute," he whispered pulling her lips back to his. He kissed her eyelids closed, "...and very, very sexy." Emma moaned again as one of his hands circled to her back and then inched down lower to her bottom. She sighed, her tongue continuing to explore his mouth.

Will's other hand tugged at the hem of her sweater, and Emma nodded her approval, never breaking their lip lock. Will was the only person who could make her this daring- this willing- to participate in activities that last year she would deemed "terrifying" and "unsanitary." But as his fingers crept up her flat, smooth stomach, his touch electric, those words were the farthest ones from her mind.

Will's hand found the lace trim of her bra and slid over the material. Through the padded layer of fabric, Will cupped Emma's breasts, both of them moaning. Emma pulled away for a second, her breath ragged as she moved her hand over his, edging it down to the trim again, then pushing it up once more, this time underneath the fabric of her bra. Will gaped as she said, "Will... it's okay. I want this..." the last part was so quiet he was almost unsure if it had been said, but she kissed him lightly and whispered, "I want _you_."

"Em..." he could barely form words. How could he, when she was looking at him like that?

"Shh," she whispered, kissing his lips with a new passion that had errupted somewhere deep inside of her. This was something she had never felt before, that deep desire burning in every fiber of her being.

His fingers grazed her erect nipples, and he sighed into the kiss. Her chest broke out in a flurry of goosebumps and a shiver ran up her spine. Through their kiss, Will pulled off his own shirt, his muscular chest and torso hovering over Emma. She ran a fingertip down his abs, ghosting over his skin, and in a daring move, Emma ran her nails lightly underneath his navel, making Will twitch and sigh. He grabbed her hand as he felt himself harding through his jeans. "Emma," he said, his words sharp but loving. He didn't know how she would react to this type of thing.

Suddenly, fear overtook her eyes and facial expression. "What?" she asked, "Oh, Will, I'm so, so sorry... I was just trying to make this... good, for you, Will, I'm sorry... I'm sorry," her words came out in a rambling blubber and he silenced her by smashing his lips to hers. She melted into the kiss, a tear running down her cheek.

"Emma, sweetie, you did nothing wrong. You're perfect... you're too perfect," he laughed, his eyes traveling down to the prominent bulge in the front of his jeans. Emma blushed. "Oh. _Oh_." He grinned boyishly, working on the buttons of her sweater as he straddled her hips. He pulled her cardigan and camisole off of her body, expertly unhooking her bra with only one hand.

As the lacy periwinkle material fell from her shoulders, he gasped. "Em..." she looked up at him, her eyes wide with insecurity. "You," he whispered into her ear as his nibbled on her earlobe, "are so, _so_ beautiful. And lovely. And perfect." She choked back a happy sob as he kissed her neck. Will sucked on her pulse point as his hands moved from where they held her back to her front.

His fingers moved in a practiced grace over her chest, his hands cupping her smallish breasts and his thumbs running over her hard, pink nipples for a second time that night. "_Will..._" his name tumbled into the air as he kissed down her neck, his teeth grazing her collarbone. Emma arched her back into his chest, her head lolling back in utter pleasure as his her fingers tangled in Will's thick curls. She ran her thumbs in the sensitive space behind his ears as Will nuzzled the smooth valley of her chest, in between her breasts.

"Mmm, Em..." Will moved his mouth over her pink nipples. She sighed in satisfaction as Will sucked on the soft, hardened skin there. He pulled her closer, his thumb and index finger teasing at the breast that was lacking attention from his mouth. She arched further into his back, and he moved his free hand to her waist, her hip, finally her thigh. She sighed as his teeth grazed her goose-bumped skin. "Will, Will..." the only thought she could coherently form was his name. Over and over again, it was his name, and every panting breath seemed like a declaration of her love for him.

Will moved his mouth over to her other breast, his hands teasing her inner thigh. She gasped as his fingers moved to the lace edge of her panties, but she made no move to stop him. Instead, she untangled her own nimble fingers from Will's thatch of curls and moved them to the zipper of his dark-wash jeans. "Em..." his whispered as she slowly pulled the metal down his waist, his navy blue boxers revealing themselves. His protests meant nothing to her- she wanted to do this. For him.

Slowly, Emma moved her hands to the edge of his boxer shorts, her nails once again grazing the skin there. "Emma, no... you don't have to do this." She put her finger to Will's lips, and he kissed it. "_I want to_." Her whisper faded into the increasing darkness of her living room, the silence that followed made Will wonder if it had ever been said at all. Time ticked around them, but stood still in the connection between Will and Emma's bodies. Her fingers ghosted over the bare skin of Will's hardened length, and he sighed contentedly.

_This could not be more perfect. This is too good to be true..._

Just as the thought entered Will's mind, the angry blare of his cell phone rang in his ears. He groaned miserably, kissing Emma's temple. "I'm not answering..." and they continued their explorations. But when seconds later the phone rang again, Emma urged him to answer. "What if it's important... or something?" she tried to hide the reluctance in her voice when Will placed a chaste kiss to her lips and clambered from his perch atop her on the sofa.

His face fell as soon as he saw the Caller ID on the cold, mechanical device. He swore under his breath. "It's Terri."

Emma's heart plummeted. It had been held up so high and such a breakable thread, and with the woman Will really belonged to on the other line of his phone, the thread seemed to stop. Emma hastily arranged her skirt, pulling on her bra and camisole but not bothering with the cardigan that lay discarded by her ottoman.

When Will hung up moments later, he was shocked to find Emma re-dressed and off the couch. He leaned down for a kiss, and Emma took his lips to hers in a manner so desperate and hurt and needy that Will's heart broke in two. He kissed her with the same fervor, understanding that after the phone call, they could not regain what they had built over the last hours. Finally, she pulled away, kissing his jaw and nuzzling into his bare chest. "... You should go, Will," she whispered. "It's almost eight and-"

"Shh," he said, "I'm staying here for... as long as I can. I'm not going to get up and leave you, Emma- especially after that- for just one phone call," his grip around her tightening and she swallowed the lump in her throat that grew with each passing second. After a few moments, he whispered, "Terri said she would getting home from work late."

"Oh," she whispered softly, unsure if she could form words. The reminder that Will was going home to someone else, was enough to kill her, but Emma just held him tighter. She wasn't sure if she could do this. A sniffle escaped her against her will, and Will pulled back a little to see her face. She quickly burrowed into the crook of his arms again, unable to bear the lack of contact.

"Emma? Are you alright? Listen... I'm sorry, I never should have taken that call... Oh, Em... it hurts me too, you know that? Please tell me you know that Someday, me, and you- we're going to be really, really happy. And you're going to be the only girl I'm coming home too, please believe me, okay?"

She nodded, biting her lip. "I'm fine. I think I'm just tired."

"Come on," he said, pulling her over to the couch and sitting down, holding her in the perfectly innocent way they had done before their most heated make-out session to date. "You're right..." he kissed her cheek, "Let's just... be?" She nodded against his collar and snuggled further into his hold. Emma was right- she was tired. The events of the day had drained her emotionally, and being held by Will like that made it so easy to relax. Relaxation seemed more simple in his arms, but forgetting what happened and what might happen was proving extremely difficult. Emma tensed in Will's grasp, stiffening.

"Em," he whispered, "Just... let go. Relax, okay? Don't... just don't think about it. You're okay." He kissed her chastely on the temple, "_We're_ okay." And as the night hours ticked on, Emma's breath evened out to a peaceful slumber.

XXXXXXXXXX

His heart was broken. He felt terrible, sneaking around like this. The clock neared ten fifteen and Terri was supposed to be home shortly after ten thirty, and Will still needed to shower and change his clothes. But it wasn't the sneaking around and hurting Terri that had caused Will's hard to shatter. No, it was only one word. And Emma hadn't even known she was saying it.

_She had been asleep since almost nine, and Will had held her the whole him. He kissed her hair every so often, regretfully gazing at the clock every few minutes to remind himself to savor the times like these. The times when he could just be with Emma, not even doing anything, were much more valuable than even the most important moments he had spent with his wife. He sighed as the clock neared ten, and decided that it was time for him to go. _

_It took all of his will power to leave her there, alone, because God only knows his overwhelming desire to stay with her all night. Or forever. Preferably the latter. She was easy to scoop up in his strong arms, and her face instinctively buried itself in his shoulder. He carried her to her bedroom, setting Emma down on the fluffy duvet. As he slipped her body from the confines of her uncomfortable skirt and bra- leaving her in only her camisole and panties to sleep- Will's breath caught in his throat. _

_She was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. The pale moonlight gently caressed her pristine features, her face absolutely relaxed, though her eyes and mouth seemed to be contorted in pain- like something was plaguing her from the inside, out. Was he causing her this much hurt? Her red hair was splayed across her pillow, fiery against the darkness._

_As Will moved to leave, placing a kiss to her forehead, a hand lightly grabbed his, squeezing softly. He turned to see Emma, eyes open wide and fearful, her hand tentatively pulling his. "Stay," she whispered in her disoriented state. With sleep weakening her muscles, she pulled him lightly, but Will stayed still. He stiffened, pulling away gently as a tear slipped down his cheek. Her eyes grew even wider than they had been before, the most tortured expression he had ever seen grace her features making a debut across her face. Another tear slid down Will's cheek as his hand left hers slowly, their skin brushing briefly before he whispered, "Goodnight, Emma," and left as quietly as possible. _

_And leaving her there, in the bedroom, that panic-stricken expression on her face was enough to just about kill him. _

_Somehow, Someday, things would be better._

_Somehow, Someday, Will _would_ get to stay- he promised himself that._

_Somehow, Someday, he would make sure that he never let go of her ever again. _

****hides** How was it? For my first remotely smutty piece of writing ever? Comment, review, and of course constructive criticism is more than welcome! The second part of this chapter, "Ignorance" should be posted before Monday. Reviews=love. -Liv**

**P.S. Randomly heard this song on the radio the other day, and immediately thought of where Will and Emma stand in the actual show as of right now. It's called "The Mess I Made" by Parachute- youtube it please please please it is sooo good. And ridiculously filled with Wemma goodness. I don't know how to make fan videos, but if you do and are looking for a song, this one is pretty perfect! LOL thanks, -Liv (again)**


	6. Chapter 5, Part 2 Ignorance

**Chapter 5, Part 2: Ignorance**

**Takes Place During "Vitamin D"**

"Will for the last time I'm not-"

"Emma," he breathed, taking her hands in his. "I know you aren't mad... but... let me be sorry? At least?"

"Will, you have nothing to be sorry for. Don't be silly... it was stupid. I was half asleep anyway, Will. I don't even remember what happened, really."

"That's a lie," he said bluntly, looking into her eyes. Her brown eyes were the gateways to her heart, and he could tell anything about her just by glancing into them. She opened her mouth to protest, but he raised his eyebrows in speculation. "I can see it in your eyes, Em. You're a terrible liar."

"I doesn't matter if I remember what happened or not Will, I don't... It's stupid, Will. Things like this are going to happen, and we just have to learn how to deal with them. It's... it's fine, Will." Her voice faltered on her last sentence, and she turned away from Will, trying to keep the tears at bay.

It was a Monday morning, and they hadn't spoken since Will had left her apartment on Friday night. Truthfully, she was heartbroken. In every way. She knew that this- what she and Will had together- was special, but it was going to be hard. Nothing could have prepared her for the sinking feeling in her stomach when he had left, or the pain of seeing the tears fall from his eyes as he left her bedroom.

As he left her alone in the darkness as he went home to his pregnant wife.

The thought alone made Emma choke out a soft sob, and she brought her fist to her face, pressing it against her nose to try to block out her crying, willing herself to keep it together. In a second, he had turned her around so she was facing him. "Emma..." he peered over his shoulder, checking to see that hallways were still deserted in the early morning hours. Will gently lowered her clasped hand from her face, holding it desperately between their bodies as he leaned into her to kiss the tears off her cheeks. She sighed, the heartbreak and pain easing for a moment as she realized that Will felt the same pain she was undergoing.

"Will, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be... breaking down like this. It's fine. It's fine... we knew this was going to be difficult, I can't be..." she tried to convince him, and herself, that this whole ordeal was stupid, but Will had taken her into his arms in a second. He dropped a kiss onto her hair and let a tear or two slide from his own hazel eyes. "It is not fine, Emma, for me to be hurting you. In any way... it is not fine for us to be in this sort of pain right now... I can't deal with this guilt, Em. I can't... keep going in this promise knowing that every time I go home, you're hurting inside. And so am I, because you _are_ my home. And I... I love you, Emma." He finally said it. He braced himself for her reaction, unsure if she was ready to take this step.

"Will," she whispered, pulling away. "I-I... I don't know what to say... I... I love you too," she said, placing a soft kiss to his lips before turning to face her desk. She took a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing, and she knew what she had to do. "You could never hurt me, Will," she stated, her voice building in strength as she walked over to the opposite side of her desk, her fingers finding the soft petals of the purple tulip that rested by her jar of pencils. The petals that were slowly, but surely, beginning to bloom. "Do you see this flower, Will?" she asked quietly, meeting his eyes. He nodded, unsure of where this was going.

"I got it when Ken took me that silly tulip festival. It was the only one, out of all the bouquets, that I could possibly want." Will cocked his head in question, but Emma continued anyway.

"It was the only one I wanted because it reminded me of you, of us. You see, when I first saw it, it was little and protected and silly. And nobody even looked at it twice. Thought it was anything close to beautiful, or worth it. And that was me, Will. That was me before I met you. Before I knew you, and before... before you gave me the best gift in the world. I mean..." there were tears in her voice now as she croaked, "Who knew a silly little post-it note could change someone's life? Make them feel... beautiful?"

"Emma."

A tear slid down her cheek as she said. "This flower grows when I water it, and pa y attention to it, and set it on my desk for the world to see. And I feel like I'm blooming, and that I'm beautiful, whenever I'm with you. You make me better, Will... and you could never hurt me, because you hold me up so high, and you show me more love than anyone has ever given me before."

In two strides, Will crossed Emma's small office and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. "I love you," he said, the tears evident in his voice. His throat was thick as he whispered, "You are the most beautiful person I have ever met. On the inside, and on the outside, and everything in between." Will tilted Emma's chin up so that she met his eyes. "And I'm so in love with you right now... more than ever. And that isn't ever going to change."

Emma let out a half laugh, half sob, and as he kissed her chastely on the lips and eyelids to make all of her hurt go away, she knew that the upcoming battle, though fierce, would be worth it.

XXXXXXX

The following two periods had dragged on, the only sparks of enlightenment in the dreary two hours being the constant chime of a new email from Emma on Will's computer. He could barely focus today, so he ended up just passing out a worksheet to his first two classes of the day and telling them to do some homework when they finished. Eventually, he had to turn the volume on his computer off, because Rachel (who sat in the front row, right by his desk) began raising her eyebrows skeptically whenever the device chimed with a new email. "Who are you so avidly chatting with, Mr. Schue?" she giggled, earning a laugh from Tina, who sat beside her.

"Someone special, hmm?" the usually shy girl teased, and Will felt his ears turning red.

"Do your work, ladies," he said, almost unable to wait for his free period when he and Emma could go have a coffee in the teacher's lounge and just be together. He had missed her, painfully so, all weekend. And her revelation this morning made his ache for her even more prominent.

Will felt like a schoolboy as he rushed from his classroom soon after the bell, blissfully unaware of the turn of events currently taking place in Figgins' office. He paused happily at Emma's office door, watching her through the glass. She was bent over her paperwork, biting her lip as she signed off on countless college recommendations.

He had no idea how long he stood there, just taking in her beauty, but nothing could break Will's trance. Maybe it was the way the sunlight caught her hair just right, igniting a fire in his heart, or the way her lips curved into a gentle smile as she clicked the top of her pen. It could possibly have been the gentle curve of her back and she hunched over her work, but it was just as probable that it was her eyes or the way she would align her papers into a perfect stack before beginning onto the next document.

Suddenly, she looked up, finally sensing his presence. And as her face lit up in a huge grin upon seeing him, he realized that it was absolutely everything he loved. But, most of all, it was how she looked from his eyes to the flowerpot on her desk, then back to him again. She blushed as she did this, realizing he had noticed, but beckoned for him to come inside.

"Hi," she said, a blush tinting her cheeks. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," he said, smiling the lopsided grin that Emma loved so much. She blushed a little, and he took a step forward, extending his hand for her to take. Without hesitation, Emma took Will's hand and let him pull her out of her chair, a twinkle in her eyes.

"Want to go grab some coffee before lunch?"

"Of course," Emma smiled, "Let me just grab my bag."

"I'll get it," Will interrupted, and Emma swooned as he lifted her tote onto his muscular shoulder.

The chatter remained happy and jovial for the remainder of the free period. Will lamented a little to Emma about the glee club, and how complacent they were becoming. "They're just getting so... complacent, Em... I feel like I'm not doing a very good job of inspiring them anymore, you know? Ever since they found out their competition, they're bored, and they're comfortable where they are-"

"Will. Don't be ridiculous. The kids love you. And... you inspire me to be better every day, you know. Don't get down on yourself. Maybe it's... good. In a way, it might be good, that they're so confident. They're so wonderful at everything they do, Will, and maybe you should just let them enjoy it for a little bit. Don't rush, don't push them too hard. Just keep being... you. And that's perfect, I think."

He smiled warmly, taking a sip of his coffee. When he set the mug down, he sighed, his eyes glowing. God, he didn't know what he would do without Emma. He had come into the lunch room today with all the troubles in the world, but she had simply made them dissolve. She made him feel good about what he cared about, and himself, and he hadn't had anyone do that for him since... well, since ever. "Em, you are so wonderful," he said bluntly, taking her hand in his.

She squeezed his fingers lightly, "So much of me, Will, is because you helped me to be that way." A soft blush graced Emma's cheeks, and if they hadn't been in such a public place, Will would have kissed it away. She was so beautiful. Inside and outside and everything.

"That isn't true." He croaked, his voice thicker than he expected it to be. Emma raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner, cocking her head to one side. Her red waves fell over her shoulders, and he imagined running his fingers through them and kissing the radiant smile that currently lit up her lips. "Em, from the day I've met you, you've been so lovely, and honest, and everything I could ever wish-"

"Well, isn't this nice." The voice pierced through Will and Emma's very private moment, shattering any remnants of the spell they had been under. Emma snatched her hand away, blushing fiercely, and began examining the table in great detail. Will swallowed, turning his head around slowly.

_This couldn't be happening. This could _not_ be happening. _

But it was.

"T-terri...?" Will cleared his throat, struggling to find his voice. Somehow, the sight of his pregnant wife looking down at him so expectantly, so ominously, had seemed to have sucked the very breath out of him. "W-what, umm, what are you doing here? You never visit me at work..." He stood to greet her, but Terri took another step closer, keeping him in his seat. She liked this position of power, of intimidation, of feeling bigger than he was. He swallowed nervously.

Emma was concentrating on her coffee mug, breathing in and out in short little puffs, and trying to maintain her composure. If Terri hadn't been there, Will swore that he would have taken Emma into a warm embrace and absorbed every last ounce of her panic. But the thing was, Terri _was_ there, she _was_ in the teachers lounge, and she _was_ resting a hand gently over her swollen stomach as if she was wielding a sword at the both of them.

"Oh, I'm not visiting, Will," she chirped, overly cheerful, yet her tone still managed to sound menacing and harsh. She cocked her head with a heartbreaking smile, her eyes widening a little as she said, "I'm the new school nurse."

One could have heard a pin drop. Will felt a rock settle in the pit of his stomach, and he struggled for a response. Meanwhile, Sue Sylvester had begun packing up her lunch rather loudly across the room. As she passed Will and Emma's table during her hasty exit, she muttered, "Well, God bless the both of you." Emma could feel herself flushing ten shades of pink as Terri shot Sue a pointed look and pulled out a chair to sit down beside Will. The tension in the air was so thick that it felt hard to breath, and with another small cough, Will finally spoke.

"But Terri, you have _no _training." His hand massaged the back of his neck as his mind ran a mile a minute. There would be no escape now. No middle-of-the-week dates for he and Emma. No meeting in the morning for a quick kiss, no staying at her apartment while Terri worked the late shift. Their small relationship as they knew it was ending, and Will felt tears begin to prick his eyes at the very thought.

"Oh please, Will, it's a _public_ school," Terri sighed, raising her eyebrows. "Plus, two incomes will help for when the baby comes. _Our_ baby." Will's cheeks reddened and he blinked the tears from his eyelids, sighing. Terri turned to Emma, her vicious smile returning. She seemed hungry, almost, and Emma coward in her chair.

Seeing the woman he loved shrink so visibly in the presence of the woman he was supposed to love made Will incredibly uneasy. He carefully maneuvered his foot underneath the table so that it rested against Emma's primly-crossed ankles, hoping that the small physical gesture would offer some comfort, give her some strength. _I'm on your side,_ he thought, hopeful that his telepathic message would successfully reach Emma from across the table. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Terri, Will's pregnant wife," Terri offered, her words biting and cold. "You must be Emma."

"Y-yeah," Emma said, attempting a smile.

"Will's mentioned you a few times," Terri stated, and Will reeled in anger. He tried to keep his breathing even and calm, but it was almost impossible when Terri was acting this way. He applied more pressure to Emma's ankles with his foot, trying to soothe her, but she pulled away suddenly, her chair scooting back on the floor, her eyes wide.

Terri's hand was making a beeline for the rim of Emma's coffee cup. Shit shit shit shit. "You've got a little lipstick," the blonde explained before wiping the edge of the cup with her spit-coated thumb and smiling icily in Will's direction. Will could not bring himself to look at Emma, to see the horrified look in her eyes, because he knew that his reaction would be one that he'd regret.

"Well," Terri said, rising from her seat and resuming her careful hold on her belly. "I'd better be going. Time to keep the students of McKinley healthy and happy, right?"

"R-right," Will choked, struggling to form a coherent thought as his wife left the lounge. As Terri's heels clacked down the hallway and became inaudible, Will slowly turned to face Emma. Her porcelain face was painted with shock and fear, and Will's heart went out to her.

"Em-"

"Don't, Will," she whispered, swallowing. "Just don't."

"But Emma..." his voice trailed off, and he felt his eyes grow teary again. He was being such a baby, but he didn't care. Emma was the most important thing in the world to him, and now, it would be almost impossible to show her. With Terri as the new school nurse, there would be absolutely no time for Will to be alone with her. No time for him to show Emma how much he loved her.

"I know," she said softly, her hand finally daring to cover his. She gradually looked up, her own tearful eyes meeting his. "Don't say it, Will... I know. This... it's going to be even harder than we thought."

"Em, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry..."

"Will. What do you have to be sorry for?" Her voice was thick, laced with emotion, her accent heavier than he had ever heard it. He sighed deeply as she explained, "You have priorities, Will. Priorities that include your wife. And your baby. And... and until Someday... it's going to be really hard to make me... to make us... one of them."

She felt like her heart was being ripped out, but she had to do the right thing. She had to walk away now, or else she knew that she would never be able to.

"Emma, wait-"

"I have to go," she whispered, unable to speak louder. She managed a small smile as she left, a tear trickling down her cheek. She swallowed, unable to form words. _I love you_, she mouthed before she turned her back completely to him, and their relationship, until there was no Terri standing in the way.

X

Sue Sylvester was a good person. If, and only if, one is on her good side, that person could rely on Sue for almost anything. Really. If you were someone that she even remotely cared about, then she would not let anything touch you, or anything harm you. Ever. And she might get angry easily. She might hatch terrible plans behind your back. But if ever you were in trouble, and if ever you needed a friend, Sue would be there. Sue would be the first to come running to your aid. Sue would be the first to kick the ass of someone who might have hurt you.

Although she would never admit it, not in a million years, or at gunpoint, or during a zombie apocalypse, or over her own dead body, or as she took her last breath of life, Sue considered Will Schuester and Emma Pillsbury to be her friends. And she thought that-as annoying as they both were- she had never laid eyes on two people more in love than they were.

So when she overheard the chilly exchanged between the duo and Will's wife, Terri, Sue decided that this was one of those times that a friend needed her. Sue knew that Will and Emma's relationship had been growing stronger, and that they were falling harder and harder every day. And despite his curly hair and obnoxious club of mouth-breathing acne factories, she thought that Will Schuester deserved a chance at happiness. And despite her obsessive habits and fussy blouses and hair and timid, squeaky voice, she thought that Emma Pillsbury deserved that chance too.

For two days, she had been essentially stalking Terri, searching for any tidbit of information that could possibly get the woman fired. It was a Wednesday when Sue finally found was she was looking for. She was camped outside the nurse's office, leaning casually against the doorframe, and staring into space when Finn Hudson, the school's star quarterback, ambled through the door.

"_Mrs. Schuester?"_

Sue struggled to make out what they were saying.

"_Yes... oh, Finn Hudson... dating Quinn Fabray?" _That was Terri.

"_Umm... Yeah..."_

"_... bone structure."_

"_...Thanks."_

"_...help you?"_

"_Just... really tired lately..."_

"_Well... is anything... keeping... awake?"_

"_... Girls, football plays... girls."_

"_... dating Quinn Fabray... cheating..." _The woman's voice grew slightly sharper, and Sue rolled her blue eyes. She wasn't even a certified nurse, how could this woman possibly be allowed to give such advice to the kids?

"_... Nap now?" _That was Finn again.

"_You know, when I was in high school... cheerleading, 4.0 GPA, cultivated a loving relationship..." _Sue blocked out the woman's monologue. She could care less about Terri's endless high school accomplishments. For a second, she contemplated leaving, but a feeling in her gut made her feet stay glued to the floor. "_... I know how I did it!... Two of these little blue meanies every morning... firecracker for the rest of the day!" _

And with that, Sue Sylvester turned sharply on the heel of her custom-made Nike sneakers. She had work to do. Good, innocent, pregnant Mrs. Schuester was administering over the counter drugs to students with no training whatsoever. Having them in her possession at all was enough to get her fired, but giving them to students? This was gold. This was exactly what she had been looking for.

She walked as fast as possible to Figgins office, the bell for last period ringing sharply in her ears as she reached the main hallway. She groaned inwardly- according to the lunch gossip as of late, Will was hosting a glee club competition today. Figgins was supposed to be the guest judge or something or other, and would be busy last period.

Sue trekked back to her office, settling herself in her chair and pulling out her journal as she decided that the news would have to wait until tomorrow. She flipped the little book open and clicked the top of her blue Mont Blanc pen.

_Dear Journal,_

_I believe that there should be an entire day devoted solely to the greatest woman to ever walk the planet Earth. ME. Every ninth of December, right in the midst of all the biggest holidays, students will have off from school, and people will have off from work, and they will all gather round a huge statue of me created by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel himself in honor of National Sue Sylvester Day..._

X

Will leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples with his fingers. This could not be happening. This could not be happening. Sure, Finn had seemed a little more exuberant yesterday, but it was nothing too unusual. Will had overlooked his favorite student's odd behavior, writing it off as a good night's sleep and excitement over the competition. Even Figgins hadn't noticed anything.

But now... now it all made sense. He snapped back into reality as Figgins shook his head, looking in the direction of his wife. "We're sorry Mrs. Schuester, but we have to let you go. We do not support drug abuse in any way at this school! And William..." Figgins looked from Will to Terri to Sue, who loomed against the bookcase behind them.

"You should know your students, Will. You should have been thinking when Mr. Hudson began acting so irrationally yesterday afternoon- Why, if Sue hadn't come to me like she did this morning, who knows what could have happened? Do you realize that your own ignorance, and the poor decisions of your spouse risked the well being of the entire student body of McKinley High School! Does the name of the best president who ever lived mean nothing to you, Schue?"

Will swallowed. He hadn't been himself all week. After Monday, after Terri arrived and drove a huge wedge between himself and Emma, he hadn't been able to focus on anything. Including the obscene amount of energy and enthusiasm that was spewing from Finn yesterday. Even Rachel had seemed taken aback by her classmate's behavior. "I-I know, and I'm sorry..."

"Sorry isn't going to cut it this time, William! From now on, Ms. Sylvester will be the co-director of your glee club. She has a perfect track record and reputation, and will hopefully influence your decisions in regards to your students!"

"But-"

"No 'buts' William. Not this time. I'm sorry."

X

Terri Schuester was desperate for answers. For anything, really. Here she was, feigning a pregnancy, and plotting to take a student's baby, and with a husband who obviously had feelings for someone else. She loved him, she really did. Or at least she used to. Some time, a long time ago, Terri Del Monaco fell in love with Will Schuester, the boy next door. But now the love was gone. Now, she just loved the _idea_ of him. And the income he brought home every third Friday of the month.

She sighed. Without her constant supervision, she knew that Will and the doe-eyed harlot would grow ever closer. She remembered smelling another woman's perfume on his jacket last week, and bile rose in her throat. They were supposed to be the golden couple, the sweethearts with the perfect marriage, perfect life, perfect clothes and house and children. She wondered fleetingly how much money she would get from child support if she divorced him now for cheating on her. Her accusation would probably land her more cash than she could fathom now, and the constant stream of money over the years for their baby would-

No. She stopped herself. She couldn't think so far ahead because honestly, as of right now, there was no baby. No child support. And she would continue to fight for her perfect life. It hadn't completely slipped from her grasp yet, but every day that Will spent with that horrible ginger pushed her fantasies farther and farther away from her reality.

She knew that Will could not be swayed. He, as much as she hated to admit it, was falling for that skittish bimbo. But Emma? Emma was so in love with Will that she would do absolutely anything for him. Even leave him alone, forever, if that meant that he could happy with his child and his wife. Terri pulled on her favorite blue sweater, happy to finally shed that god-awful lab coat, and stalked down the hallway in the direction of Emma's office.

"Hi, Mrs. Schuester," Quinn said as they passed in the sea of students, and Terri flashed the girl an icy smile.

"Quinn! How are you doing lately?" she glanced down to Quinn's stomach, noting that the control panel in her Cheerios uniform was still keeping her completely flat looking. Was that normal at this stage in pregnancy? She exhaled, making a mental note to research more when she got home. She lowered her voice, "And how's... the baby?"

"Good, actually," Quinn said, her eyes looking a little sad, a little scared. "Just difficult with all the bills. I mean, each ultrasound is so expensive, and you want all the DVDs... and soon I'm going to need maternity clothes and-" tears sprung to Quinn's eyes, and the popular teen fought to maintain her composure. "I was hoping that you could help me out a little." Her voice was soft and needy, and Quinn swiped impatiently at her eyes with her knuckles.

"You want money? From me?" Terri scoffed, her eyebrows climbing skyward. Truthfully, she didn't know what was driving her to act like such a bitch. She wouldn't have been able to handle a teen pregnancy, and Quinn was being so strong and selfless. Terri was supposed to be the girl's support system, and yet, she found herself incapable of doing even that. She felt incredibly guilty, and suddenly sick, but her lips kept moving, forming horrible words that she didn't really mean. Who was this person? This terrible witch? "I'm going to be paying the bills for eighteen years, sweetie. You can handle nine months," Terri deadpanned icily. Quinn turned away, and Terri swallowed thickly. She felt more bile rise in her throat, and she placed a hand over her stomach, hoping to find some level of comfort in the padding underneath her shirt.

No wonder it was impossible to love her.

But, as that thought entered her brain, Terri picked up the pace towards Emma office. That was all the more reason to nip whatever was going on between Will and that little hag in the bud. She was relying on this baby to keep she and Will together, and she needed to do everything in her power to make sure that there were no alternate options. When everything that mattered to her was hanging so high on such a breakable thread, she needed to insure the fact that there was nothing sharp nearby to break it.

X

Emma Pillsbury sighed. This week was the hardest of her life. She stared intently at the sunny skies outside her windows, the weather greatly contrasting with her mood. She hadn't realized how much she needed Will in her life until she had gone without him for almost a full work week. God, he was the only thing keeping her sane.

She let her stomach twist into uncomfortable knots as she stood there, her eyes blurring from the combination of tears and staring at the sun for too long. Someone cleared their throat, and she heard the door to her office pull open.

Emma swiped hastily at her brown eyes, hoping that they didn't look too red rimmed. She had no idea how long she had been staring out the window, or how much she had been crying. She had just been so lost in her thoughts of Will, and impossible dreams of Someday. "Terri." Her voice rose and octave as she looked uncomfortably around her office. Why was Terri here? With her? "H-how, umm, how can I help you?" For some reason, her tone was icy, not nervous and skittish, and it scared Emma to think that her own voice reminded her so much of Terri's. She swallowed thickly, fear rising through her small frame and bubbling in her chest.

"Emma. I just wanted to clear the air about this week. Things have been a little... awkward." Terri's words seemed genuine and her hands were rested gently on her pregnant stomach. Emma got the feeling that Terri was holding a gun to her head instead of softly caressing her swollen belly, but blinked rapidly to chase the thoughts away.

"That's, umm," Emma finally found her voice as she sat down. "That's actually really nice of you." She managed a quick smile as she let her eyes wander from the tulip on her desk back to Terri. But instead of the warm look she was expecting in return, Emma was faced with the iciest look she had ever seen.

"Yeah, nice," the blonde deadpanned, stepping closer. _Tulip tulip tulip tulip, _Emma thought, searching for inner strength. She opened her mouth to speak, but Terri was faster. "You think you are so high and mighty Emma, because you're so innocent, and you have a crush on a man that you see for an hour or two a day. You don't know Will, Emma. You aren't married to Will. You aren't carrying his baby, the baby that he loves very much."

"Terri, I-"

"Oh, don't _even_, Emma. You think that you deserve him, because you're always so kind to him, and you deserve some special award for sharing your sandwich with him sometimes and giving him advice about his stupid little club. You think that you're better than me because you live in your little, tiny, clean bubble. You don't have real problems, Emma. You are a coward. You're a child."

"Terri, Will is a good man. A-A wonderful man and-"

"And what? You think he thinks the same of you? Have you ever heard of pity, Emma Pillsbury? Because that is all your freakish friendship with my husband is or ever will be."

_Tulip tulip tulip tulip._

_Someday Someday Someday Someday._

"Listen up, ginger. You competing with me is like saying that a _nail_ is in _competition_ with a hammer. And how can you be so mighty, Emma, so good, if all you really are is a home wrecker? Hm?" Terri smirked, her eyebrows arching menacingly. Emma tried to stop the tears that leaked from her eyes. Her cheeks reddened- she had never felt so hurt, so angry. She found the strength to stand, even though her knees wobbled and knocked together. She gripped the desk for support, but let go, and took a step towards Terri.

"Will is the most wonderful, amazing man I have ever met." And I love him. So, so, so, ungodly much. She bit her tongue. "And he... h-he deserves a lot better than you."

"And who would that be, you?" Terri scoffed, rolling her icy blue/gray eyes. "Right. Go out with Ken Tanaka, Emma. He's the only one who is willing to date a freak like you. And even he could do better." She took a final step closer to Emma's desk, and Emma swallowed, a single tear slipping down her cheek. Terri glanced down at her desk, her blue eyes falling on Emma's meticulous jar of pencils. With one flick, she pushed it over, the wooden pencils and metal container clattering to the floor. "Oops." And with that, she was gone.

X

Emma sank into her desk chair, feeling as though she was dreaming. This didn't feel real, not the confrontation with Terri, or the mess of her pencils, or the mess her life had become. She realized that she was openly sobbing when her hands reached to cover her face, and she felt her body contract and lose her normally perfect posture. The hot tears seeped unchecked down her cheeks, and she wished for one thing.

Will.

But instead, it was Sue Sylvester who had witnessed the scene. And with no words exchanged between the cheerleading coach and guidance counselor, Sue entered Emma's office and began picking up each and every one of the spilled pencils. She set the jar upright again, dropping the group of wooden instruments inside, all facing the same direction. Erasers up, like always. For some reason, the simple gesture only made Emma cry harder.

The older woman simply placed a hand on her shoulder for a split second, rubbing the curve of it gently and quickly, before removing it as though Emma's shoulder was burning. As she turned to leave, Sue faced the broken woman before her, who had reduced her sobs to a few shuddering gasps and sniffles, and said, "Don't give up on him yet, Urma."

And that was all.

**A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates! My other stories will be updated as soon as possible! Thanks for reading! Please review and comment, all critism, ideas, and everything in between are greatly appreciated! Feedback=LOOVVEEE**

**Thanks!-Liv**


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